


right in front of me

by Jinxter



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Idiots in Love, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3874483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinxter/pseuds/Jinxter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starts immediately after the 4A finale and was inspired by a tweet by my friend Queue who wrote "Busy head canoning all of the ways that this retcon of Robin Fraud could be to #SwanQueen's advantage....*strokes chin*"</p><p>Sort of a "what could have been" hiatus fic either before the Queens Of Darkness arrive or instead of.</p><p>What if our stories of Robin Hood were all wrong.. what if Robin wasn't who we thought? The truth comes out late one night, and it sets in motion a chain of events that helps old wounds to heal and new friendships to blossom... and then some. But can Snow White keep an important secret this time around?</p>
            </blockquote>





	right in front of me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queerytales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerytales/gifts).



> I owed Queue a fic in return for the amazing SwanQueen video she made for me using one of my favourite songs ([which you should check it out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J1LbRZUM70)) ...and then this happened. 
> 
> I figured if they can retcon the heck out of the show, so can I. While there is mention of RoyalPine, it isn't favourable, and it follows canon enough that Hook needs to be dealt with before SwanQueen can really move forward. I kind of skimmed the RH parts of S3B and barely watched any of S4A so please forgive anything that contradicts canon - it's unintentional but consider it canon divergence just for those parts. 
> 
> It'll be a bit retcon-heavy to start, but I assure you it's fluffier than a prized Angora rabbit in Florida.
> 
> For Queue - MWAH darling, I hope you like it!

**Charming residence - Saturday, 11:47pm**

The loud ringtone he had forgotten to dial down caused a panic that only resulted in more noise as the cellphone clattered to the floor and Charming followed with a thump.

A whimper sounded from the bed as Snow reached for the warm blankets that had been pulled off her, and the whimper turned into a choked sob as a sharp wail erupted from the bassinet on the opposite side of the bed from the kneeling man.

"No no no no no!" She mumbled, her face buried in her hands.

Charming answered the phone, his hand firmly over the mouthpiece. "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" He extricated himself from the tangle of bedding and re-covered his wife, though she folded them back off her and climbed out to sooth her now screaming son.

"Sheriff." He said into the phone quietly, and walked quickly across the apartment and closed the front door behind him so he could hear the person on the other end of the line. He tugged to adjust his skewed boxers and wrapped his arms around himself against the cold air of the hallway as the weeknight bartender of the Rabbit Hole asked him to help to remove a couple of stubbornly rowdy patrons.

"We close at eleven on weeknights!" Tia pleaded. "They just won't go!"

He sighed heavily. "I'll be right there." He ended the call and leaned against the wall, then rubbed his eyes, the dark circles underneath them getting darker every day. He leaned over the railing at the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs. "Emma?"

"Hey, David." She took in his dishevelled appearance and noted the sound of her little brother crying inside. "You okay?"

He held up the phone in his hand. "Just got a call out, but it woke Neal and now I feel awful leaving Snow."

"I'll go." Emma offered. "What was it?"

She followed him inside the apartment and kissed her exhausted mother on the cheek, Neal now beginning to settle with the heaving, snuffly breaths against his mother's chest as she walked him around the apartment.

"Where have you been?" She asked, noting the late hour.

Her daughter shrugged. "With Regina and Henry." She clarified further at her mother's confused expression. "Henry just found something that Regina's been looking for. We had a couple of drinks to celebrate." She turned to her father. "So what's this call?"

"Rabbit Hole, evict some drunks who are refusing to leave." Charming tightened his belt, then looped his duty belt over top of his jeans and unlocked the gun safe.

Emma reached out a hand towards him. "You look awful. Let me go, it'll be fine."

He gave her a scornful look. "Not if you've been drinking. Did you drive home?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I walked. Well, at least let me go with you."

Charming looked to Snow who nodded. "Okay, fine. Come on then."

The bar was much brighter than usual, the young bartender having switched on all the lights in an effort to get the two men to leave. Emma and David strode over to the corner booth where the two men sat with a near-empty bottle of bourbon between them.

"Gentlemen." David had either lowered his voice to sound more authoritarian, or his recent lack of sleep was really getting to him. "Bar's been closed an hour now, you two need to leave."

The jovial expressions on the men, despite a split lip on one and a black eye on the other, fell and both looked up at the blond with a scowl.

"We got our drink at last call," Leroy indicated to the bottle between them, "and we'll leave when we're done."

David put his hands on his hips. "You'll leave now before I have to issue you with a trespass notice or arrest you for drunken disorderly."

The short man slid out of the booth and stumbled to his feet, a hand clutching the wooden pillar to help keep himself upright. He stabbed his finger at David's chest. "You're the one who's out of order, Sheriff Lambikins."

Emma stepped around her father and took hold of Leroy's arm. "Come on Leroy, it's time for a free ride home to bed." They got two steps towards the door before Leroy even knew what was going on and before the other mountain of a man had managed to get to his feet.

"Hey! You let him go!" He lunged for the pair and David body-slammed the big guy away from his daughter.

...

**Storybrooke Sheriff's Station - Sunday, 1:16am**

Leroy's loud snores reverberated off the cell walls and echoed around the room. 

"John," David said to the big man sitting on the cot in his cell, his head in his hands and an unopened bottle of water at his side, "I understand your best friend has had to leave us, but maybe you should re-consider who you choose to take on as your new best friend."

All eyes turned to the dwarf, drool running out of the corner of his mouth and the most peaceful, almost-happy expression one would ever expect to see on the face of a man named Grumpy.

Little John scoffed. "I'm not drinking because of Robin. Well, not how you think."

"Not how we think?" Emma cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

The man leaned against the wall and the back of his head clunked against the cement, he didn't seem to notice. "Robin... Robin was a legend. And now Robin is gone." He chuckled, a deep belly rumbling chuckle. "You people and your stories. Don't you get it? Nothing was ever as it seemed. You tell Regina to get the Author to write the real Robin Hood story too."

David leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "What are you saying? Who does Regina need to talk to? You're beginning to sound like Rumplestiltskin, talking in riddles."

Emma stood and walked over to the bars separating them, concerned that if Operation Mongoose wasn't a secret any longer, and especially if anyone disputed or ridiculed her attempt at happiness, that Regina would give up.

"Ah, now Rumplestiltskin knew the truth." His grin widened. "Rumplestiltskin met Roland's father, back... before." His face dropped again, a troubling memory dipping his brow.

"Wait, Robin isn't Roland's father?" She asked.

"Not his father." He cracked open the bottle of water and held her gaze as he took a long drink. He held his fingers up for air quotes, "Robin," he said exaggeratedly, "wasn't even Robin, wasn't worthy of the title. And I... I didn't stop him."

"That wasn't Robin Hood who crossed the line today?"

"Oh no, Robin left today." He dropped his head into his hands. "It should have been with me. I should have stepped up and told the truth about... about what we've become."

Emma's knuckles were white as they gripped the cell bars. "John, you'd better start making some sense. What the hell is going on?" She would swear her father to secrecy if she had to, but now she had to know what Little John was talking about.

"Robin was better than all of us." He shook his head slowly, dark eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We let her down."

"HER?!" Emma exclaimed so loudly that even Leroy snorted, snuffled, and rolled over to face the wall.

Little John looked up at her with surprise and guilt at his slip of the tongue. "Him." 

David rose and joined Emma in front of the cell, still holding the icepack on his shoulder from his earlier apprehension of the larger man. He bared his teeth in an apparently innocent fake smile, but the twin frowns, glares, and both Sheriffs crossing their arms told him he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Crap." He muttered, and rubbed his eyes, his fingers coming away moist but clearing his eyes of the physical sign of his sadness.

Emma crossed her arms. "Start talking, John. No more riddles."

He took another long drink from the water bottle and placed it down next to him empty. "Pull up a seat, let Uncle John tell you kids a story."

They all stared at each other for a moment until he made a wobbly 'come on' gesture with his hand and the sheriffs did as they were told.

Half an hour and one very complicated, slurred story later Emma pulled her father out of the station and into the hallway outside. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find any words.

Blue eyes took in her concerned expression. "We have to tell Regina."

"I know." She turned away from him and crossed her arms again. "But he's her soulmate, and we don't even know if what John said was true."

"Well, we need to talk to some of the other Merry Men, see if we can verify his story." David reached out with his sore arm, only wincing slightly, and reassured her. "We'll do that in the morning, but for now this is just between the three of us."

Emma tensed. "You can't tell Snow."

"I won't." He smiled tiredly. "Not yet."

She narrowed her eyes. "Not until Regina knows. We owe her that."

...

**Storybrooke Sheriff's Patrol Car - Northbound on Main Street - Sunday, 4:13pm**

"I still think they would have accepted the old world way of getting information without lodging a complaint of police brutality. You forget they didn't get fake memories and knowledge about this world when they were brought here in the second curse." Emma leaned her head against the glass of the cruiser's passenger window as David drove them back towards town.

He chuckled. "That's not who you are though."

His daughter glared at him sideways. "I've punched many a man in the face, thank you very much." He raised an eyebrow. "Well," she corrected, "A few. I've threatened to many times, though, and it does help me to be taken more seriously."

"We'll find somebody else, Emma. There is bound to be at least one other person in town who knows Robin Hood's real story, and would be willing to tell us. We just have to find them."

Emma picked at the rubber window seal with her fingernail. "We don't even know whether they're playing dumb out of loyalty to Robin or John, though, or some other reason. And now John won't even talk to us since he sobered up..." She thumped her fist down on the sill. "Oooh! Stop! Stop!"

She braced herself against the dash as David slammed the brakes on and the car slipped slightly on the wet road before the ABS kicked in and thudded them to an abrupt halt. The blonde unclipped her belt and leapt out of the car, the short-haired man in the denim jacket huddled under a store-front canopy from the drizzling rain looked as though he was deciding whether or not to run from the law again.

"Will!" Emma called, and he frowned at her grin, it wasn't the expression he expected to see on her at his presence, and he tilted his head with suspicion."

"Sheriff." He greeted her, and drew his hands from his pockets, rocked onto the balls of his feet and thought about the best way to run to avoid being thrown in the lock-up again, trapped with a cot that smelled like 28 years of stale dwarf farts.

He eyed the other sheriff who exited the vehicle and swallowed. "Whatever it was, it wasn't me. I've been a good lad." He grinned cheekily. "Well, I've done nothing illegal, at least."

She cringed slightly at his wink, and he wondered for a moment if he should be offended. "We're hoping you can help us with our enquiries, actually."

"I'm not a nark." He said firmly. "And I should think even you know that I've never been one to much respect the law."

David stepped in closer out of the rain. "Nothing like that, mate." He smiled warmly and tried to put the confused man at ease. "It's actually your history with the Merry Men that we hope you can fill us in on."

"What we did back in Sherwood and the Enchanted Forest was another time and place, alright? I thought Storybrooke was the place we all got to have a fresh start?"

"Will, we need to know about Robin. The real Robin." Emma pressed.

His eyes widened. "The _real_ Robin?"

"We know about her." She studied his face and smirked at the acknowledgement she saw in his lack of response.

"You do. And how do you know that?" He shifted his weight to his other foot and crossed his arms.

Emma leaned closer. "It doesn't matter how we know, but what we need to know is who was the guy who claimed to be Robin?"

Will sighed. "Biff? He was just one of us when I was with the Merry Men."

"Biff?!" Emma scoffed and flashed a glance at her father.

"Biff Snyder. Decent enough bloke, but he needed regular guidance to stay on the side of doing good. I was a bit surprised he became Robin."

"It's true then." David said, his statement unnecessary but caused the reality of the situation to hit home for both sheriffs.

Will shrugged. "Yeah. Well, I don't know what it is you know about _the real Robin_ you speak of."

"It's Marian." Emma said, and again watched Will closely.

He smiled. "I suppose it doesn't matter much now that she's gone. Yeah. Marian was Robin Hood, and your books about her in this world are rubbish."

"So we heard." Emma shoved her hands in her back pockets. "And Roland's father?"

Will's face scrunched up. "Tom. Now he was a good bloke. Devoted to Marian, thought the world revolved around her. I was pretty torn up about what happened to him."

"How long was he... was he Robin for?" David asked.

The shorter man rubbed his chin. "About four, five years."

"Who was Robin before that?"

"Ah now that was Kareem..."

...

**Storybrooke Sheriff's Patrol Car - Northbound on Main Street - Sunday, 4:36pm**

"It doesn't make sense!" Emma whined ten minutes later. 

David sighed. "No, it doesn't, but I think Mother Superior may be able to help to shed some light on the whole soulmate thing."

"Regina hates Blue." Emma said quickly, and her hear whipped around to look at the side of her father's face as he drove. "What about Tinkerbell? She's the one who started this whole mess in the first place."

David glanced at his daughter before looking back out at the road ahead. He swallowed and felt an odd knot in his stomach.

She bit her thumbnail a few minutes while they drove in silence. "Can you drop me off at Regina's?" 

"Are you sure?"

Emma sighed. "No. But I have to tell her. I can't keep this from her, and John's story seems to be corroborated. She deserves to be involved from here on out, it does affect her after all." She bit her lower lip. "Her happy ending, or not." She added quietly.

The cruiser pulled up outside the mansion, and though it was still early enough to be considered daytime, the heavy grey clouds looming above them blocked out enough sunlight for artificial light to be shining out from inside the house already.

"Good luck," David offered her a tight smile.

"Thanks." She said and climbed out. She turned and stuck her head back in the car. "Not a word to Snow," she warned. "Not yet." 

He made the gesture of zipping his lips shut, and she smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

She slammed the car door, opened the squeaky gate, and jogged up to the door which opened for her without her needing to knock.

"Whoa, kid! Are you psychic now or something?" She tried to shake all the water droplets off her jacket before she stepped inside, and she wiped her wet boots on the mat.

Henry grinned. "I was in the living room and I heard the gate."

Regina stepped out from the kitchen and wiped her hands on her apron. "Emma! You're soaked!"

"Sorry!" Emma stepped back out the door onto the mat and smiled sheepishly. 

Regina stalked towards her, reached out, grabbed her wrist and tugged her inside. "Get inside, you'll catch your death out there!" Her eyes raked over the sheepish blonde, limp hair dripping at the tips, wetting her clothes further. "Where the hell were you?"

Emma shivered, not just from the cold, but under the watchful gaze, which should seem familiar in it's intensity by now but still never failed to pierce through her. "Forest."

Dark eyes narrowed slightly, but regardless she held up her hands which glowed with the palest of lavenders, and Emma felt the warmth coming off them radiate onto her face. "May I?"

Emma's eyes widened and she nodded immediately but almost imperceptibly. Regina glanced at Henry, and waited for him to agree before her she hovered her hands over Emma's head, shoulders, right the way down to her feet.

The blonde shivered. "That tickles." She wriggled, though, and grinned at the feel of warm and dry hair and clothes against her body.

"Better?" Regina asked with a smile.

She grinned and reached out to wrap her arm around the kid's shoulders. "Much! Now what is it that smells so good and is going to ruin me for the boxed mac and cheese David will inevitably make later?"

The brunette turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen, followed by her son and his other mother. "Bourbon chicken," she said over he shoulder. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Emma released an animalistic moan when she caught sight of the deep red coloured sauce-coated chicken in the pan on the stove. She received a smack to the back of her hand as she reached out a finger to swipe sauce from the wooden spoon, and Henry shook his head knowingly.

It was only after she the rate at which she shoveled the food into her mouth slowed that it became apparent to the others that she wasn't joining in the easy conversation for more reasons than just speed of ingestion.

"Is everything okay with your meal, Emma?" Regina asked, and the younger woman felt two pairs of eyes on her.

She quickly swallowed her mouthful. "Umm, yeah. It really is delicious. Did you make the sauce from scratch?" Regina smiled. "Of course you did," Emma said wryly. "What's in it?"

"Ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice--" Emma snorted, and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"You and your thing for apples," she teased, and Regina scowled, although a smile tweaked the corners of her mouth upwards. "So why isn't this recipe in my memory collection?"

The older woman frowned. "Excuse me?"

Emma stopped the next forkful before it reached her mouth. "You know... all the memories you gave me. You basically taught me how to cook by giving me fake memories. Well, not that I can cook as well as you, obviously." She looked at the piece of chicken on her fork almost sadly, then popped it in her mouth. "Was it like, a particular recipe book you stuck in my head? I should buy a copy because I always feel like I'm not doing it quite right."

She watched Regina draw a deep breath, lick her lips and dab at them with her napkin. "They weren't fake memories, Emma. They were an adaptation of my own memories. My own recipes." 

Green eyes widened with surprise. "You gave me your memories?"

A pained look flashed across Regina's face, but she quickly schooled it back into a friendly yet reserved expression. "As much as I could. Obviously I had to adapt them to work for your history, but yes."

Emma gulped, and she studied the smiling Henry. "It's true. My memories if you raising me are so close to the ones of Mom raising me that sometimes it's almost like you were both there." He smiled at Regina. "Thanks, Mom. I don't know if that's exactly what you wanted for me, but I like it."

She reached along the table and squeezed his hand, almost the same size as hers now. "What I've always wanted is for you to be happy, Henry. That's all that matters."

Regina studied his face and looked fondly at her growing boy, his changing features, the soft fuzz on his more defined cheeks, and the thickening of his eyebrows. She squeezed his hand a little harder, hoping time would slow down so she could hold onto her little boy just a little longer. He looked away from her and focussed on his birth mother. "Mom?"

She let him go when she saw the expression on his other mother's face and the wetness in her eyes. "Emma?" She stood and reached out to place a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Emma's head dropped down and she exhaled jerkily.

"I have to tell you something."

Without realising it, her hand tightened on Emma's shoulder and her stomach turned at the seriousness of her tone. "Henry, could you please give your mother and I a moment?"

The boy looked between his mothers. "What's going on?"

"Henry, please..." Regina pleaded with her eyes.

He ignored her and pushed Emma. "Mom? What's wrong?"

She blinked a few more times before she felt safe enough to lift her head up and look at their son without crying. "Nothing, kid. I just... I found something out today that I need to talk to your mom about, okay?"

"About Operation Mongoose?" He asked hopefully.

Emma grimaced. "Well, kind of." Her shoulder felt cold where Regina's hand had been as she pulled it away.

"I'm in Operation Mongoose too! I was in it before you were, you should be telling both of us!" He protested loudly, but Emma sighed and looked up at Regina. She reached out and touched her forearm before the older woman could scold their son for his tone.

"It's up to you, Regina. Operation Mongoose is all for you." She looked up at the woman standing over her.

Regina bit her lip and looked into the soulful eyes of her son. "Is it anything he is too young to hear?" She asked Emma, her words layered with meaning.

She shook her head and curls brushed over Regina's hand before she pulled it away. "No, I guess not."

Regina ran her hands over her skirt, straightening out unseen wrinkles in the fabric out of habit. "Well then, why don't we clear the table and take this conversation into the study?" Without waiting for a response she picked up her and Emma's plates and left the dining room. Henry gathered his own and the bowl of rice, and Emma followed up with the chicken dish and steamed vegetables.

Once they were settled, a cocoa for Henry and hard cider for his mothers, they settled in to the low-lit study. Regina gestured to the fireplace. "Emma, would you care to do the honours?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You really want to risk me setting our kid on fire? And your house?" Regina just smiled and waited. Emma bent down to the fireplace, closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in concentration. A moment later a small white flame erupted from the palm of her hand, and she lowered it to the logs, pulling her hand away as they lit and began to burn red. 

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed. He kicked off his sneakers and crossed his legs underneath him on the sofa. "Now tell us what you found out today!"

Emma picked up her drink and sat on the chair opposite the fire while Regina sat next to Henry on the sofa. "Umm... well, it's about Robin." She winced at the stiffening of Regina's body at the mention of his name. "Please don't shoot the messenger, Regina." Dark eyes bored into her.

"Last night David and were called out to the Rabbit Hole to evict a very drunk Leroy and Little John, and John ended up telling us a bit more than we expected." She glanced up at her rapt audience, one seemingly much more excited about the story than the other. "He told us that this world has the Robin Hood story all wrong, and it turns out... well, I guess I should start from the start."

She took a swig of cider. "You see, Marian wasn't from Sherwood. She and her family moved there with another family when their land was flooded by a dam built downstream and they lost everything. But Sherwood wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and things got pretty bad, and her best friend from that family was abated or something."

"Abatement?" Regina asked curiously.

"Yeah. Kareem, he, umm... he was gay." Her eyes flicked between mother and son.

Henry looked at Regina. "What does abatement mean?"

Regina took a sip of cider and swivelled a bit to face Henry. "It was what happened when someone did something considered dishonourable. They were marked and banished from their homes and families." Henry frowned. "The world I came from is a very different place, Henry, and things that weren't understood, anything outside what was considered the norm was treated as though it was something to be feared or scorned." She rested a hand on his knee. "It was backwards, and it was often wrong."

Emma smiled at her warmly. 

"What do you mean they were marked?" He asked.

It was his blonde mother who fielded this question, having asked the same question herself that very day. "Usually a branding, although sometimes it was a tattoo."

Hazel eyes widened and he looked between his mothers. "Like Robin Hood's?"

"I'm getting there, kid. Let me tell the story." Emma chuckled. "So things were really tough and in the end they were kind of manipulated into agreeing to marry Marian off to the Sheriff of Nottingham in order to keep their farm."

Her eyes caught Regina's as she tensed again, though Henry seemed oblivious to the moment of understanding shared between his parents.

"She decided to run away, and so she tracked down Kareem and they lived together in the forest, stealing to survive. Over time, they gathered this little community of outcasts. There were battered women and orphaned kids, gay people, misunderstood magic users, and they had this little, like, commune out in the middle of nowhere. The Merry Men formed as kind a guard for them, and as providers. Often they were related to the villagers, but sometimes they were petty criminals offered a chance to do right by helping where they were needed. They would ride out, cloaked, and steal from royalty and wealthy people who didn't treat other people well. They provided for their community as well as as many needy people as they could in nearby villages."

"Is that where she met Robin Hood?" Henry asked, his eyes twinkling with restrained excitement, his love of a good story battling with the knowledge that his mother was hurting over her lost soul mate.

Emma sighed again. "The legend of Robin Hood got it a bit wrong, you see. Apparently Marian referred to her cloak as her "robbing hood" and then one time, mid-robbery, one of the Merry Men called out to her using it as a nickname so she wouldn't be identified, and word of this mysterious "Robin Hood" began to get out. But no one knew--"

"He was a she?" Henry crowed. "Robin Hood is Marian!" He spun to face his other mother and his mouth dropped open at her pained expression. "Oh. I'm sorry, Mom." He whipped back around to Emma. "So who was Robin? I mean, the.. Robin we knew?"

The blonde cringed inwardly and rested her elbows on her knees. "Umm, well, one time the King's guards fought and grabbed Kareem, they thought he was Robin Hood, and they saw his tattoo. The Merry Men fought back and freed him, but he... he was badly injured and he died soon after. They buried him and celebrated his life, and a couple of the men decided to honour him by getting the tattoo themselves because he'd taken their mark of shame and turned into a better man than all of them."

She watched Regina gulp down the last of her cider and stalk over to the side table for a refill. She waited for her to return before she continued. "One of the men was Tom Roland, the brother of one of the young girls in the camp who had fled from an abusive husband. Marian ended up falling in love with him. During a subsequent robbery, they encountered the same guards who had killed Kareem, and in a sign of defiance, Tom held his arm up exposing the tattoo and they were shocked that "Robin Hood" had survived his injuries.

"The legendary love of Robin and Marian started to be told around the communities they helped, all pieced together with incomplete and deliberately misleading information. Marian continued to lead the Merry Men and run the camps, but she fell pregnant and got really sick. Tom stole a wand from Rumplestiltskin to cure her--"

"He stole from Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked incredulously. "Why didn't Gold hate him when he saw him in Storybrooke."

Emma winced. "Umm, well, he cured her sickness and they got away. Marian took a step back from the front line after baby Roland was born, but on one of their trips, Tom disappeared. She sent more men out to find him, and they disappeared too. They think Rumple had something to do with it. Only one of them came back."

The vein in Regina's forehead throbbed. "Robin... wasn't Tom either?" 

"No." The blonde said softly. "One of the men saw Rumplestiltskin try to kill Tom but stopped, then he seemed to wipe Belle's memory because she defied him to help Tom escape, which explains why she didn't know Robin wasn't the Robin she knew."

"But Rumple would have." The brunette stood and walked over to the fireplace.

Henry frowned. "Why didn't he say anything then after..."

Regina watched Emma out of the corner of her eye, remembering the state the blonde had been in after their son's idiot father had died in order to resurrect his evil, dark-hearted father, and she cursed the fool for sacrificing himself for someone so unworthy. Someone who obviously had a reason to have not revealed the true identity of her soul mate. She frowned. "How many men got the tattoo?"

"Four. Tom, Jude, Padraig and Biff. The place of Robin was taken by Biff when--"

"Biff?!" Regina exclaimed, and she scowled at Henry when he giggled.

"Biff Snyder. He'd been a petty criminal that had stolen Marian's horse. She'd tracked him down and beaten him up, then offered him a place with her Men in return for his help in supporting her people." Emma shrugged. "Apparently an okay guy, he looked after her when she was grieving again, and he looked after Roland when..." Regina frowned and her knuckles whitened as she gripped the arm of the sofa. "When, umm... well, after she took in Snow White and you and your guards found the camp." She decided to leave out the part John told her about how Biff especially liked the attention he got from women as a single father to such an adorable child, the deception enough of a disgusting blow to the woman without pouring extra salt in the wound.

"Things were already a bit rocky and with him in charge people kind of moved on, some went their own ways, but some of the men who didn't have family there stuck together with Biff and... they kept robbing but only really supported themselves with the proceeds."

"Without a heart of gold, a thief is just a thief." Henry said.

Both his mothers looked at him. "I overheard Dad say it to him one time when they were arguing. I didn't know what he meant. Robin-- I mean Biff," he corrected, "said he did have the heart of gold."

Regina looked at Emma who shared the same shocked expression at the news that Neal had known about Biff's deception.

"What else did your dad say, kid?" Emma prodded.

Henry looked up at the ceiling as he thought. "Um, he said something about honour, and," his eyes widened and he looked at his dark-haired mother. "He was saying he needed to give it back, but I couldn't hear what 'it' was, I was too far away. They argued really quietly then Dad gave up and went to go but he stopped and said "Don't you dare hurt her." I didn't know who he meant! I thought he meant Ma but it didn't make sense because Robin had nothing to do with you." 

He turned to his brunette mother. "I didn't know you were with him then and.. I didn't know you were _you_ then either, and then Dad died and everything was so crazy and Hook was telling me about when dad was a boy and it didn't make sense because I thought dad was older than him and then all the stuff with Zelena and Mary-Margaret having a baby and... I forgot about it!"

Both mothers moved toward the upset boy. Emma sat on the coffee table in front of him with his hands in her own and Regina sat back at his side with her arm around him. "It's alright, Henry," she murmured into his hair. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry, Mom." He wrapped his arms around her. They hugged tightly for a few moments and then he pulled back. "So who had the tattoo that Mom saw?"

"It was Biff here in Storybrooke."

"No, I mean when Tinkerbell used the pixie dust and she saw him in a tavern. Who was that?"

Emma sat up straighter and her eyes connected with Regina's. "Uhh, well, that happened soon after you were married, right?" Regina's jaw tensed and she nodded. "So, about nine or ten years before you cast the curse?" She nodded again. "Kareem didn't die until about seven years before the curse, it seems it was him."

"But you said he was gay," Henry looked around at his Mom, just as puzzled as he was. They all were.

"He was. David thinks--"

"Your father knows about this?" Regina growled.

Emma held up her hands in surrender. "We both took Leroy and John to the station, he heard John's confession. We didn't know if he was telling the truth so we spent today trying to verify it before... well you deserve the truth and I wanted to try to figure out what it actually was before... I mean... I knew it wouldn't be easy for you to hear. We had to get the facts."

Henry took his older mother's hand. "She was helping, Mom. They both were."

She grudgingly softened her expression slightly and sniffed. "You were saying? About what the shepherd thinks?" She refused to hold back the disdain in her voice, but Henry and Emma both recognized it for the defence mechanism it was.

"He thinks you should talk to the fairies about why Tink's pixie dust lead you to someone who you were, umm, kinda incompatible with."

"I think the fairies have done enough to mess with my life that it's quite self-explanatory. They, for some reason, have always done their best to hinder my happiness."

"Tink doesn't seem to be like that. It couldn't hurt to ask, could it?" Regina silently cursed genetics as the puppy-dog expressions she could never resist were aimed at her from two directions.

"Fine." Smiles beamed at her and each other. She rolled her eyes and cursed herself for being such a pushover, both loving and hating that her traitorous heart had let both of them take up residence in it, and she felt the time ticking away as she waited for one or both of them to rip it apart from the inside. But she accepted her fate, and having let them in, she wouldn't want it any other way.

She sent Henry off to bed then pulled out the bottle of scotch whisky from the side-table. "Are you driving?"

"Actually, David dropped me off, so I guess I'll be walking."

Regina looked at the window, though the blind was closed she could hear the patter of rain against the glass. "It's pouring down out there, so _I_ guess you'll be staying. Care for something stronger?" She held up the bottle.

Emma grinned and walked towards her, glass in hand. "Sure."

...

**Mills Residence - Sunday, 10:26pm**

Regina sat cross-legged on the floor and stared into the fire. Emma sat on the coffee table behind her and tried to not look down, not look at the glimpse of black bra she could see in Regina's cleavage, not look at the smooth, light olive skin of her thighs exposed by her skirt being hiked up to allow her position. She squeezed the tense muscles of Regina's neck, thumbs traced lines up and down either side of her spine, and fingers combed through dark hair where her neck met her skull.

"A part of me wishes I had known of Marian back before the King," she said softly, as if to no one.

Emma continued her ministrations, she wasn't sure her voice would hold if she did speak, as the ugly truths about her grandfather's marriage to a teenage girl that she'd tried to not think about reared their heads again. She tried, though. "A part of me does too."

A disbelieving snort escaped. "You wouldn't have been born. You or Henry."

"No." Emma's fingers slid out of Regina's hair and back down to her neck and shoulders. "My parents probably wouldn't have met, but I kind of hate that you had to go through... that... just for me to exist."

They sat in silence a little longer, watching the flames flicker and dance. When Regina spoke again, her voice was even quieter than before. "For the record, I kind of hate that you had to be all alone and hurting in order for me to be able to raise Henry."

The blonde's hands stilled and she reached behind herself with one of them for her drink. "Yeah well, I think we both know that me at 28 was barely able to look after a ten year old, let alone 18 year old me with a baby. I'm really glad he went to you, and I'm really glad you gave me a second chance to know him with your memories. You were far more generous than reality would have been. It's a bit weird though, because now that I know, I can see how memory-me was a lot like you. But still me. Like some weird hybrid of the best of both of us."

Regina tucked her legs to the side and wobbled as she leaned forward. Emma plonked her glass back on the table, stood and offered her hand. She pulled Regina up, her hands finding the shorter woman's sides as she swayed and cursed under her breath. "My leg has gone to sleep."

A warm chuckle rolled out of the blonde and Regina's hands gripped fistfuls of woollen sweater. She sucked in a breath to object to the sheriff's insolence but the fresh scent of fabric softener and undertones of vanilla stopped her in her tracks. She allowed Emma to assist her the whole way up the stairs and to her bedroom, though from the half-way point she had thought she would have been able to make it on her own.

She opened her bedroom door and entered, while Emma hovered in the doorway. Regina opened her dresser and took out two pairs of silk pyjamas. She tossed a deep red pair onto her bed and held out the steel grey pair towards the blonde, who tentatively reached out for them. "I guess I'll just, uhh--"

"You may use my bathroom." Regina said, squeezing her eyes closed to try to focus them.

Emma cocked her head to the side and pointed behind herself with her thumb. "There's one down the hall, isn't there?"

Regina nodded, then regretted it and held her hand to her forehead. "Yes, but I haven't cleaned it after Henry used it this evening."

"You clean it every time he uses it?" Emma scoffed and wondered what Regina would have to say about the infrequency of the bathroom cleaning at the apartment.

She put a hand on her hip. "He's a thirteen year old boy," she glared.

Emma's face crumpled and she waved her hands in front of her, grey fabric flopped around. "No, no, no! I do not need to think about that!"

After a moment of confusion Regina realised what Emma was thinking. "I meant that he is like a tornado! He manages to get every surface wet, he leaves his towel on the floor along with puddles and his dirty clothes and I blame you because he never used to do that before..."

They both fell silent, the year they spent apart feeling as though something were missing hung heavy between them. 

"There is a spare toothbrush in the cabinet."

"Thanks." Emma said, and she stepped into the bathroom.

When she emerged, the only light in the room was the bluish light from the moon which was shining bright now that the clouds had thinned and parted. She tried to creep past the bed when she heard a sniff and froze. "Regina?" She whispered.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan," came the firm reply, though her voice cracked at her name. Emma padded over to the bed and hovered a moment before sitting on the edge, the warmth of Regina's body directly behind her pressing against her lower back.

She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Dealing with emotions wasn't really her thing, but she couldn't bring herself to walk out on a woman crying. She deflated further as she felt Regina move away from her, and she wriggled past the centre of the bed and faced the opposite way. Emma sighed in resignation, then saw Regina's arm fling back behind her and pull down the corner of the bed covers in unspoken invitation. She smiled to herself in relief and climbed in.

After a while of staring at the ceiling she was pretty sure Regina had fallen asleep, so she flinched at the voice that cut through the silence. "He knew it wasn't him."

"What?" Emma continued lying on her back, arms behind her head, but turned her head toward Regina.

With a sigh, the brunette uncurled and rolled over to face the blonde, and Emma's heartstrings tightened at how vulnerable she appeared with tear-dampened cheeks. "He knew. I told him about Tinkerbell and the pixie dust, and the tattoo, and he let me think it was him."

"Oh." She could see the wetness still pooling in Regina's eyes, and a tear escaped when she lifted her head to angrily fluff her pillow. Emma reached out and wiped it away, her hand lingering at the side of her face, her thumb stroked along her cheekbone again. Once again she saw past all the bluster of the Mayor, past the acid-tongued defences, straight into the heart of the woman who she admired more and more as time went on. Over and over again, when given the chance, she would make the right decisions with a strength forged in the fire of pain and betrayal, and time and time again she would get hurt in the process, even if she didn't let anyone truly see that she was.

With a slow, steady movement, not really convinced it was the right move and so alert and prepared to pull back, she slid her fingers through Regina's hair and continued down her neck to her shoulder blade, where she pressed with a gentle pressure and she felt the older woman move with her until she was tucked up under her arm, her cheek against her collarbone. Emma pressed her lips to her hairline. "It's a good thing he's gone, because I would very much like to kick his ass into another realm, no portal necessary."

A cool hand slipped over the fabric on her belly and tucked in around her side. An amused huff of air tickled across her chest above the top button of her pyjamas, and a bent knee was casually rested atop her lower thigh. She hadn't taken Regina for a cuddler, but then again, when did this woman ever not surprise her?

...

**Mills Residence - Monday, 5:54am**

Emma often jolted awake from the sensation of falling as she was drifting off to sleep, a common hypnic jerk that many people experience, but she rarely had the same feeling as she woke after a full night's slumber. Probably because she rarely slept with anyone who kicked her out of bed in the morning. Literally. Regina's small feet pressed against her upper thigh and butt and the next thing she knew she was on the floor, one foot still in the air, tangled in the satin sheet.

"F' fuck's sake, Regina!" She grouched, and hissed as she rubbed her grazed elbow that had connected with the bedside table on her express descent.

Regina sat in the middle of the bed, blankets clutched to her chest, her hair a mess and bleary eyes open, though unwillingly, by the looks of it. She gaped, blinked a few times, then swallowed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She mumbled something behind her hand as she wiped the corners of her mouth.

"What?" Emma roughly tugged her foot free and clambered awkwardly to her feet.

Regina licked her lips and looked over Emma's rumpled pyjamas, her pyjamas, before her eyes raised back up to angry green eyes. "I said I'm sorry." They stared at each other a moment, and Emma softened at the quiet, almost embarrassed movements of Regina finger-combing her hair and adjusting the bedding over her. "Are you alright?"

She pulled up her sleeve, her elbow was red but the skin wasn't broken. "Yeah." She tried to pull out her wedgie without Regina noticing. "Are you?"

Dark brown eyes looked up at her in mild surprised. "I'm not the one who landed on the floor," she said matter-of-factly.

"I know. I'm also not the one who got such a fright that someone was next to me that I booted them out of bed. You look a little... out of sorts." Emma pulled up the covers and sat on the bed, and she began finger-combing her own hair when she noticed Regina stiffen.

Regina didn't say anything for a moment, and Emma let the silence hang and pretended to concentrate on the few knots that had formed since she last brushed her hair.

"You were just... quiet, and... there." She sniffed.

Emma smiled tenderly. "Sorry. Should I snore next time?"

An eyebrow rose at her implication and lips still tinted with yesterday's make-up pursed.

"I mean, not that... you know... if..." She could feel the warm flush over her pale skin so she twisted her head so her long tresses would shield her from the brunette's no doubt scornful look.

Instead, the older woman's voice was soft and low. "I just meant that it has been a long time since I shared a bed. Henry... well he used to come in here if he had nightmares, and he breathes loudly, but..."

"Kid's growing up, huh." Emma stated more than asked. She was grateful for the hair blocking Regina's view so she didn't see her lip curl with the next question that she immediately mentally kicked herself for asking. "But Robin..."

She heard Regina scoff and felt the bed wiggle as she slid out the opposite side and pad towards the bathroom. She stopped at the doorway. "Biff, you mean? He never stayed here." Emma tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up, slightly confused. Regina rolled her eyes. "We were only... it was once. At the vault. I transported myself here once he fell asleep and then back again before he woke up."

Emma couldn't help the smile that curled at her lips, despite the bitter taste at the back of her throat at the thought of that jerk and the way he treated Regina like some woman he met at a tavern, not the Queen she was. Not even like the Mayor. Not the future step-mother of your kid. Not even like... well not even as good as the way Emma would treat a woman she met at a bar. The vault? Seriously?

The brunette closed the door to the bathroom and Emma grinned without quite knowing why. Well, she knew, she was happy that she and Regina were getting closer and sharing more, and that Regina was sharing something with her that she had only afforded to Henry, if the way she caught Graham climbing out the window in the middle of the night had been any indication of past habits.

But her face fell when she thought of the side of her that Graham and Robin had been privy to, that she still hadn't, then she felt her face flush and began to freak out about why that bothered her so much, and she decided to clean Henry's bathroom to distract from the very confusing feeling she would much prefer to not address. 

She looked up from the toilet bowl, brush in hand, when the door opened and Regina's face appeared, make-up reapplied and hair perfect once again. The thought crossed Emma's mind that she preferred the just-woken up look, that with smudged eyes and messy hair the regal woman seemed much more... more... something.

Regina looked around the sparkling room, impressed. The towels and Henry's clothing had been placed in the hamper along with the pyjamas Emma had worn the night before, his toothbrush back in the holder -- she knew her New York parenting was at fault for him always leaving it on the edge of the sink and had scrubbed away the dried toothpaste from the countertop. Now she was on her knees with a toilet brush in hand, and she gritted her teeth and hoped Regina wouldn't be disgusted that she didn't have rubber gloves on. It's not like she was touching anything other than the handle of the brush anyway.

Instead she seemed impressed. "Well done, Miss Swan." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Maybe I should invite you to stay over more often."

She disappeared out the room and called out behind her. "I'll start on breakfast. Wake Henry before you come down, will you dear?"

Emma paused for a moment trying to figure out if Regina Mills just flirted with her with her while she was on her knees in front of a toilet bowl, then hurriedly finished cleaning up. She washed her hands well and ran her fingers through her hair a few more times until it sat sort-of how she wanted it to. The smell of coffee had made it's way upstairs and she could hear the clanging of pans, plates and bowls from the kitchen. She knocked on Henry's door and turned the handle.

"Hey kid, wake up," she said from the doorway. "Henry." She said more loudly when there was no response.

The lump in the bed grunted and moved before falling still again.

"Your mom is making us pancakes," she tried appealing to his inherited bottomless pit of a stomach, to no avail. She sighed and stepped forward, gripped the covers and tugged them off.

Henry's hands flew to his face, covering his eyes from the morning light streaming in through the blind he had obviously not closed the night before, though his body curled to the side, his knees pulled up to his chest, although not quite fast enough for Emma to miss the reason. Her own hands flew to her eyes, fingers parting only just enough to see her way out of the room. 

"Get up and come down for breakfast," she yelped, then slammed the door shut behind her and hurried down the stairs.

Regina frowned as she handed her the cup of steaming, rich coffee when she entered the kitchen. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"If only!" Emma took a sip then winced at the heat and licked her almost-burnt top lip. She flopped down onto a barstool and rested her forehead on her hands and faced the coffee cup below her.

She felt a hand on her back. "Emma?"

The blonde groaned again. "You're evil."

The hand disappeared, and when she spoke her voice was tight and guarded. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry!" Emma looked up at her, her wrinkled brow and wide eyes testament to her sincerity. "Not like that... just... making me wake Henry up."

Confusion was written all over Regina's face. "What are you talking about? You're his mother, I'm sure you have had to wake him many times."

A small whimper escaped Emma's throat and she swigged the coffee again despite it's temperature.  
She leaned towards Regina who still stood fairly close to her. "I just... I pulled the blankets off him like I used to have to do when he wouldn't wake up, and.. he had... he's just" her voice dropped to a whisper, "growing up."

"Oh?" Regina's brow remained furrowed for a moment, then her eyes widened as well as she realised what Emma was talking about. "Oh!" She swallowed and watched as Emma's head dropped back into her hands. "Well, I suppose it's perfectly natural."

"Mom! You didn't!" The women looked up at the horrified expression on their son's sleep-bleary face in the doorway. "You're talking about... about me?"

"Henry," Regina started, but he was already turning away, his thunderous footfalls on the stairs and the slam of his bedroom door indicated how much trouble his blonde mother was in with him. 

Emma groaned. "Fuck!" She pushed off the stool and walked over to look out the window into the expansive back yard, and sighed heavily. Regina returned to whisking the batter, which thanks to her memories Emma knew was incredibly easy and tastier than pre-made pancake mix. She turned to Regina and asked, "How good is your magic with renovations?" The older woman looked perplexed. "It's changeover day today and... well normally he shares my bed at the apartment and I'm not sure I'll have time to get a cot today. And maybe one of those Japanese room divider things."

With a chuckle, Regina poured a perfectly circular pancake onto the hotplate and wiped the about-to-drip batter from the edge of the bowl with her finger and stuck it in her mouth. Emma felt her own go dry and sipped again from her almost comfortably drinkable coffee.

"While I think of it, how are you with soundproofing?"

Regina looked up at her again with the same cringe she wore during the bathroom conversation. 

"I mean because of the baby! So Henry gets a good nights sleep. I mean he sleeps like the dead most of the time, but little Squirt has a damn good set of lungs on him, and I guess the Mayor would want the Sheriff at the top of her game too, right? I am armed, most of the time. It's really in the public interest." Her tongue poked out between her teeth as she smiled when she began to realise what a good idea it was for herself as well. 

"I think you'll need to talk to him first, it might help to tell him how you plan to adapt your parents' apartment to better suit you all." Regina flipped the pancake and cast an almost apologetic look at the younger woman.

Emma groaned again. "Me? You're so much better at this stuff than I am!"

"You are more than capable, Miss Swan," she said firmly, knowing full well of Emma's abilities as a mother by the amazing young man her son had returned to her as, which she sometimes thought of as being in spite of the Charmings' influence but more recently she had accepted was, at least in part, because of it.

Green eyes pleaded with her. "Come with me?"

Regina felt her resolve waver, and she plated up the first pancake and turned off the burner. 

Emma followed her up the stairs, but Regina had to reach back and drag her along the hallway to Henry's room, his blonde mother mulishly resisting.

She knocked on his door. "Henry? May we come in?"

"Go away!" He shouted, half gruffly and half squeakily.

Emma wrapped her hand around Regina's bicep. "Come on, you heard him."

It was Regina's turn to resist, and she scowled briefly at Emma before speaking softly again. "Please, Henry?" There was silence, then a moment later a grunt of assent. She pushed door open, and reached behind her with her free hand to grab Emma's to ensure she didn't try to escape.

Henry sat on his bed, his arms crossed and knees up as he leaned against the headboard. He stared at the wall and avoided acknowledging the presence of his mothers in the room.

"Sweetheart, what happened--"

"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped.

Emma squeezed Regina's hand slightly, then realised they were still actually holding hands and let go. "Kid, look. Yeah it was an awkward moment but your mom is right - it's perfectly natural. Normal. I just, I'm used to you being a little kid, and I didn't think."

"Unfortunately that seems to be a genetic trait, Henry, so you might want to go as easy on her as you would want your future children to go on you."

The blonde's face contorted, "God, Regina. I just got used to being a mom, I don't need you making me think about us being old grandmas already! Not ready for that!" A small, unwilling smirk cracked through his scowl, and in that moment he looked more like Regina than ever, so much that Emma had to bite her lip and take a breath to centre herself again. "Yeah, I'm an idiot, Henry. I'm sorry. Look, your mom is going to come to the apartment and help to re-arrange furniture and stuff so you have your own space there."

And with that, the smirk dropped and more frustration rose. "I don't want that. I'm sick of being so crammed in over there, and trying to sleep or study when Neal is crying, and having to be quiet when he's sleeping! It's a one bedroom apartment, Ma! There's five of us in it!"

His mother gulped. "I'll grab a paper today, okay? We can start looking for our own place again. We can go back to Granny's in the meantime?"

Hot tears stung in his eyes, emotions surged and he didn't know why or where they were coming from but everything was just so wrong. "No. I'm sick of being split all the time. I'm sick of dragging all my school books from place to place and I'm sick of not having my own bed and I miss the way it used to be."

Emma's shoulders slumped, and though she tried to keep the kicked-puppy look off her face, he knew it all too well from his own mirror. "I mean, I miss New York too. I just... I miss... I miss..."

"It's okay, kid." Her voice was tight. Resigned. "You stay here with your mom. We'll figure out a way for me to maybe see you more, um, after work and on weekends."

He thumped his hands down on the bed. "No! I don't want to only see Mom before school and at bedtime!" His inhalation, much to his horror, became a ragged sob.

Both women hurried forward to the bed and reached for him, and they wrapped him in a hug from either side, tears slipped down his cheeks and he frantically wiped them away, and tried to calm his breathing.

After a minute, Regina kissed the side of his head and spoke quietly. "Well there is really only one solution that I can see here." She sat back a little, as did Emma. While Henry's eyes shone with hope, his eternally hopeful spirit still strong within him, Emma licked her lips and appeared to brace herself to be left out yet again. "Until we figure this out, Emma will just have to move in with us."

Henry gasped a little and looked up at his mother smiling softly down at him, then they both looked at his other, open-mouthed and wide-eyed mother. "Will you, Ma?"

It took a moment for Emma to shake herself out of her surprise and answer. "Uh, yeah. Um, I suppose that makes sense."

"Exactly. You get to stay in your room all the time, and you get to see both of us as much as possible. The Sheriff will get a restful sleep away from crying babies, and I'll have some nights off cooking while your mother gets some practice in the kitchen." 

She stroked her fingers through his hair and he smiled his first, genuinely happy smile for the day, all the angst of the morning forgotten as the perfection of the outcome resonated within him. Things felt right for the first time in a long time.

Regina pulled the door closed as they left Henry to dress and get ready for school.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"It's what's best for Henry, at least for right now." Regina started down the stairs, Emma following behind. "He remembers two lives, growing up with each of us separately, so it only makes sense that it feels like someone is missing when he is split between us. Plus I can't have you shooting any innocent citizens because you're cranky from lack of sleep." 

"I wouldn't think you'd object to that so much when it's usually my mother who gets on my last nerve when I'm cranky." Emma shook her head slowly. "It's like she has this radar for finding just the wrong moment."

"Tell me about it," Regina grouched. "Anyway, you may take one of the spare bedrooms upstairs with us, or if you wish to have more privacy you can clear out the basement."

"Clear what out of the basement?" Emma nudged her in the ribs with her elbow as they crossed the foyer. "Got a load of torture devices down there, Queenie?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I wish," she dead-panned. "Just a lounge suite, pool table, and a bar."

The blonde stopped in her tracks. "You have what?" Her eyes darted around the room and she trotted over to the door she figured was the basement. It was the laundry, and she quickly backtracked at the sight of a few lacy undergarments in a basket. 

Regina pointed to another door, a smile curled on her lips. "This one."

Feet pounded down the stairs and the steady heeled steps followed, the light flickered on and Emma whooped with delight. "Regina, this is awesome!" She rolled the white ball across the table and dashed over to the bar. "You have like, every kind of spirit imaginable over here!" She pushed up her sleeves, picked up a cloth and wiped the thin layer of dust off the bar top, then shook it out and draped it over her shoulder like a bartender. "What can I getcha, little lady?"

"We haven't even eaten breakfast yet."

Emma sighed and plopped the towel back on the counter. "Right." Her eyes continued to drink in her surroundings, right down to the framed print of the dogs playing poker on the wall, which was almost a parody of a traditional bar in it's classy surroundings. "This is so not what I imagined you'd have down here."

"Yes, I know. You expected a rack, maybe chains hanging from the ceiling and a hose and drain to wash the blood away."

She rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. I just don't imagine this being your kind of thing."

"Well I'd hardly want to spend time at that hellhole in town." Regina sniffed. "I'm a Queen, I'm a little more refined."

"Yeah, you at the Rabbit Hole would certainly be a shock to the system. Did people used to come here?"

Regina shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Ruby did, sometimes." Emma raised her eyebrows. "I know how her Storybrooke persona appears, Miss Swan, but I assure you that while flirtatious, Miss Lucas was also just a misunderstood girl who sometimes needed time-out from her overbearing grandmother." 

Emma nodded, and waited as she sensed there was something else. Just as the silence was about to become awkward and Emma began to think she was wrong, Regina continued. "Red, on the other hand, was an unwilling monster, feared and loathed."

"You feel a connection to her?" Emma toyed with the pool cue for a moment before glancing up to see Regina watching her.

The brunette shrugged. "Whatever kinship I may have imagined I felt ended when you came to town and time started moving again. As soon as the curse started to weaken, it was... gone."

Emma stepped forward and tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I'm sorry." 

Her apology was dismissed with a wave of her hand. "You brought my son back to me. Twice. I do believe you have made up for unintentionally interfering with my social life. So do you want to convert this into your lodgings?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "No, I'll take a room upstairs with you guys, but we definitely need to invite Ruby around again for a few drinks and a game of pool one night."

"You may do as you wish." Regina said non-committally.

Emma groaned and stepped up next to Regina, and leaned closer to bump their shoulders together as they looked across the abandoned den. "Come on, Regina. We could invite Belle too, she could use a little cheering up."

The brunette turned to face the younger woman with incredulity. "What on Earth makes you think that Belle French would want to come to _my house_ to socialize?"

"Belle and Ruby are friends, she's also intelligent, kind, forgiving, and likely in need of a friend who can understand what it's like to sacrifice their own happiness for the greater good."

The vein in Regina's forehead pulsed, and her mouth twitched. "Very well," she said eventually, then turned to ascend the stairs. She paused on the second step, took a moment, then turned. She looked down at Emma and the blonde smiled. She cleared her throat. "There is only one thing I ask, in regards to you living under my roof."

Emma stopped on the foot of the stairs, her hand almost touching Regina's which rested just above hers on the bannister. "Yeah? No pop-tarts? No oil stains on the driveway? No eating the good chocolates you keep in the back of the pantry?"

The Mayor's brow furrowed. "How do you even... Nevermind." She shook her head slightly. "Yes to all of those, if you please, but there is only one stipulation I'll enforce." Her eyes narrowed. "Well, until you demonstrate any other desperately irritating habits that I will be forced to banish."

The blonde chuckled. "Hit me. What is it?"

Regina licked her lips and straightened her shoulders. "Your _boyfriend_ isn't to come and go as you two please."

Pale pink lips formed an 'o' shape. "Hook. Yeah, uhh. Him." She cleared her throat. "Why? He's been here before, not so long ago actually."

"It is one thing to allow a person into your home with your permission and quite another for to find an unemployed pirate eating my breakfast cereal before I've had my first coffee. If you must have the handless wonder here, it will be by prior arrangement, confirmed by me, and he shall depart before bed."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous?"

"I'm not _jealous_ of him!" She rolled her eyes again and huffed exaggeratedly.

"I meant of me." Emma murmured under her breath, but loud enough for Regina to hear.

"I'm not jealous of you either. You think I _want_ a relationship with the man who handed me over to Greg Mendell for 36 hours of torture?" Regina crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the wall, the pool table, the bannister, all the while concentrating on breathing through her nose.

Emma pulled her hand back and shifted her weight to her other leg. "I'm sorry. I... forgot." Regina looked at her with hurt in her eyes that she was trying to repurpose into anger without much success. "I mean, I didn't forget, but after Neverland... well I kind of thought we got past that."

"Got past it?" Regina rolled her lips and swallowed. "Yes, well, while some take his occasional usefulness as repentance for his sins, I have higher standards." She lifted her chin to look down her nose at the usually-slightly-taller woman. "Those are the rules. Take them or leave them."

Emma stepped up and tentatively placed her hand on Regina's forearm. "Yeah. Okay, it's your house. I'll take them." She watched the older woman turn and climb the stairs to the kitchen to continue making pancakes, and she looked at the dusty bar and considered for a moment why she hadn't even thought about Hook since she had stepped into Regina's house the day before.

...

**Storybrooke Sheriff's Station - Monday, 9:04am**

"You're late," she berated good-heartedly to her fellow Sheriff.

The blond sheepishly grinned. "Well you can tell me off, or you can take a bear-claw instead." He held up a brown paper bag.

Emma shifted in her chair, her stomach still full from the pancakes, fruit, and whipped cream she had eaten earlier, but she never had been one to turn down food. She took one from the bag with a nod of thanks and took a bite of the sticky pastry.

"The town seems to still be in one piece. I take it Regina took the news okay?"

She sat her second breakfast on a piece of paper on her desk. "She's not completely irrational, David. She had no reason to take it out on the town." She looked at her father and sighed. "But that asshole knew and he let her believe he was her soulmate anyway, so I'm not sure whether he would still be in one piece if he were here."

"But would that be because of Regina or you?"

Emma shrugged. "Whichever one of us got to him first." She took another bite of bear claw and waved her hand around in the air. "She knows how to do the poofy thing though, so she'd have a head start." She pondered Regina poofing out of the vault while she finished chewing, and drained the last swig of lukewarm station coffee to try to quell the sudden indigestion before she opened the coffee David had brought her and poured it into her mug. "How did Mary-Margaret take it?"

David paused mid-way through taking his scarf off and frowned. "I haven't told her yet. I thought--"

"Good. I was just testing."

He finished removing his scarf and sat heavily in his chair. He rubbed his eyes, dark circles under them solidifying her resolve that moving into Mifflin Street would be in her best interest too, despite the lack of poptarts and the no-boyfriend rule.

"Henry said something curious." David looked up as he sipped his coffee from Granny's. "He overheard a conversation between Neal and Biff, and it seems that Neal knew about him somehow."

"Really? Why wouldn't he have said anything?"

Emma shrugged again. "No idea." She frowned. "Apparently they argued about something he should give back, but then Neal kinda gave up and just warned him not to hurt Regina. Sounded like they bickered like schoolkids that he wasn't the hero with the heart of gold after all, and Biff insisted he had it." She frowned at the grammatically awkward turn of phrase. "Or one. Whatever."

David put his cup down on his desk. "The heart of gold?"

"Yeah. Isn't he the thief with a heart of gold?" She scrunched her face up. "Of course I thought he was a fox too... and a he." She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. "I guess you _could_ say that _she_ is a bit of a fox, though, am I right?"

Her father nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, uhh, right. Hey do you mind if I do first patrol today?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this just your way of leaving me with all the quarterly review reports?"

"You know I'm not great with numbers." He bared his teeth in a wide smile and lived up to his nickname.

Emma scowled, and exhaled loudly, though the curl at the corner of her lips gave her away. "Go on then, shepherd. But I'm still leaving you half of them." He pouted as he picked up his radio and clipped it to his belt. "Farm boy David may have only counted as many sheep as it took to put him to sleep, but I know David Nolan was blessed with a standardised education in the first curse." He grinned cheekily as he trotted down the hallway. "You can't fool me!" She called after him. 

He turned as he closed the door behind him and watched her settle back in her chair and take another bite of her bear claw. The smile dropped from his face and his forehead creased. 

The cruiser heater did little to ease the shiver across his skin, the feeling of something not right about all this, something untoward and he wasn't sure what it meant. Eventually he caught sight of the man he was after and the wheel hopped the kerb as he pulled the vehicle diagonally into a too-small parallel park.

"Will!" He called as he leapt out, and the man just leaving the library stopped and turned. He rolled his eyes when he saw who it was and held up his hands.

"Alright mate, I ain't done nothing. Again!"

David jogged up to him. "I need to ask you something else, and I really need the honest answer."

The man's head tilted back a little and to the side and he looked at the sheriff cockily. "What makes you think I wouldn't give one to ya? I've been helpful so far, ain't I, Sheriff?"

The taller man stepped a little closer. "Will, what were you looking for in Ro-- Biff's tent that first time Emma and I chased you?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I do believe I'm allowed to plead the fifth, officer." 

The Sheriff ran his fingers through his hair. "This isn't about you. Please. Off the record."

Will looked around the street, and although no one was anywhere near enough to hear their conversation, he leant forward and lowered his voice. "Off the record, I thought he might have something that belonged to Marian. Well, to Kareem, that she held after that. She said she didn't have it on her when she was taken by the Queen, but Biff said she thought he was lying."

"What was it?"

"A necklace," Will whispered, "looked like a normal locket but was believed to be enchanted for lovers or something, and he was a sap for all that lark. It was the first thing he stole and the one thing he regretted taking, and he'd kept it to return to it's owner if he ever found her. It meant a lot to Marian to do that for Kareem."

David shifted his weight to the other leg. "Did he have it?"

"You and your girl interrupted me... but no, I don't think so."

"Dammit." Charming took a step back and put his hands on his hips.

Will cocked his head to the other side. "Why's this so important to you. What's that got to do with anything?"

"I think I know what it was, and who it belongs to." He sighed heavily. "Thanks for your help, Will."

He got half way back to the cruiser when Will called out to him. "Ayup mate." He closed the distance between them. "Look, if he had it and it made it here, my bet is he traded it with the slimy git at the pawn shop. I've been spending a bit of time in there having a sly look for it, but if you know whose it is..." He rubbed the back of his clipped hair. "I'll let you know if I find it."

David patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks."

...

**Storybrooke Sheriff's Station - Thursday, 2:17pm**

Heels clacked loudly on the linoleum at a fast pace, and David just had time to drop his feet down off his desk as the door was thrown open. Regina stormed in with a wild look in her eye and glanced around the room. "Where's Emma?"

"Regina, hi." David rose out of his chair. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Emma?" She repeated with an added growl.

He walked around his desk then sat on the edge of it, in front of the wild-eyed woman, and now at her eye level. "On patrol. Are you okay?"

She tsked and paced across the room, annoyed for once that Emma was doing the job she was paid to do. "I need to report a burglary."

"Someone broke into your house?"

Regina walked back towards him. "No, not that I can tell, anyway. But my silverware is missing."

"Missing?" Came a feminine voice from behind her, and they both turned to see Emma step quietly back into the office.

The irate woman strode up to her. "Was your pirate left unattended in my house, Miss Swan?"

Emma held her hands up defensively. "N..No. He hasn't been there. You know that." She reached out and placed her hand on Regina's bicep before she could turn away from her. "Wait, Regina. Slow down and tell us what happened."

With a huff, Regina turned back to her housemate and rolled her shoulders to loosen them. "I decided to polish my silverware today, but when I opened the buffet it was gone. You're the sheriff, you need to fix this."

"But there are no signs of forced entry?" David asked, already taking notes. 

She rolled her eyes. "I already told you, no." 

"So you noticed this today, when was the last time you saw your silverware?"

Regina opened then closed her mouth. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember. "The week Henry and Emma returned." 

She paused and her eyes narrowed at Emma, who held up her hands. "Hey, my thieving days are over, lady!"

David took chance and placed his hand on Regina's shoulder, and she softened slightly. "Regina, why don't you sit here with Emma and fill out a report, and I'll go and start making some enquiries."

There was a standoff for a moment longer, then Regina brusquely pulled out a seat and sat down. He smiled at his daughter who was rummaging through the filing cabinet for the right form while silently glaring at him. "Thanks," she mouthed sarcastically.

"Hey," he heard her say as he walked along the corridor, "are you busting out the good weaponry because you invited my family for dinner tomorrow night?"

Regina scoffed, and David paused out of sight to hear her reply. "Hardly!" There was a moment's silence. "And I only invited them because Henry wanted it," she conceded.

"Riiiight." Emma said, and he could hear the smile in her tone.

...

**Mr Gold's Pawn Shop - Thursday, 2:29pm**

The bell rang over his head as he opened the door and stepped inside the dimly lit shop. Though it smelled a little musty, it was spotlessly clean as per usual, despite it's owner's recent departure.

"Can I help--" Belle's head popped around from the room at the back. "Oh! Hello David." 

"Hi, Belle." He replied with a friendly smile. He glanced around the cabinets as he approached the counter.

"Anniversary?"

"Official business, I'm afraid." 

She frowned at his serious tone. "Have I done something?"

"No, no, no," he shook his hands. "Nothing like that. I'm looking for something." He glanced around the shop despite it clearly being only the two of them in it. "A few things, actually."

She sat the box she was holding down on the counter and wiped her hands on the jeans she was wearing. "What is it that you're after?"

"Silverware." She raised an eyebrow. "We've had a report of some go missing, and with so many new people in town."

"You're accusing us of having stolen goods?"

He looked around the room, and his eyes fell on the baby mobile with the tiny crystal unicorns. Her eyes followed his line of sight and she cleared her throat. "Silverware, you say."

"Yes," he smiled sadly at her, "and a necklace. They may have been quite recent acquisitions."

She held up a finger. "He usually kept new purchases out the back until he had fully researched them. Origin, past owners, the possibility of them being magical, et cetera. Let me go and have a look."

He wandered over to the unicorn mobile and ran his fingers over them, and watched as they caught the small amount of light from the window and cast rainbows across the floor. The bell rang and he started at the noise, and his wife stepped into the room with their sleeping son pressed snugly to her chest in a sling.

"Hi, honey." He moved to her side and kissed her chastely on the lips, then pressed another kiss to the downy brown hair on the crown of their baby boy's head. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just going to ask you the same thing. I was just running errands and I saw you come in here."

Their attention turned as Belle returned from the back of the store with a flourish, a long, flat box in one hand and a small pendant dangling from a chain in the other. "Is this what you're looking for, Sheriff? Pawned by Robin Hood, according to this receipt."

Mary-Margaret's mouth fell open and she gawped at David for a moment before storming across the small room. "Is that..." She plucked the necklace from Belle's grasp and looked closely at it. "It is!" She grinned widely up at her smiling husband. "It's my mother's necklace! It's the charmed one!"

She closed her hand around it and closed her eyes, opening both a moment later to reveal the open pendant in her hand. 

"It's magical? What does it do?" Belle asked, leaning forward over the glass counter for a closer look. The squat, flat, unpolished pewter exterior was entirely unimpressive, the chain also dull and stiff from lack of care. It's secret compartment was lined with gold and almost shone even in the dimness of the shop.

The short-haired brunette giggled happily. "It was enchanted to help women of my line find their loves. If you place strands of your hair and your love's hair in the locket, it will always lead you to the other. Only the women in my family can open it. It was made by my great-great-grandmother because her daughter loved to travel, even when her prince had to stay behind to fulfil his responsibilities at court, and when her father fell ill they found it hard to track her down quickly enough and by the time she was found and returned home he had passed. 

"They locket was created so she could give it to her prince so he would always find her when he needed to. It was passed down from mother to daughter ever since, only the women in my line can open it." She peered into the small cavity inside and tapped it against her palm, only dust came out. "My mother hadn't yet found her love when it was stolen from her, that's why it's empty." She brushed the dust off her hand, then all three leaned in as the dust sparkled green and dulled again.

"What was that?" David asked, and reached out a finger to wipe at the smudge of grey across his wife's palm.

She frowned and rubbed her palm again, the dust again sparkled slightly. "I'm not sure."

"We should ask Blue," David said firmly. He gripped his wife's wrist, holding her palm away from her trousers as she went to wipe her hand on them. He smiled, "just in case." He tucked the heavy, flat box under his arm and nodded to Belle. "Evidence," he said, and tapped it with his finger.

David walked his wife out to her truck and opened the passenger and rear doors. He placed the box on the floor in the back and carefully extricated his sleeping son from the sling, and buckled him into the car seat. "How did you know this was there, David? Why did Belle have it?" The baby gurgled and smacked his tiny lips but didn't wake.

He leaned across and helped her with her belt, which she was struggling to clip in left-handedly, her right hand now held in a fist to contain the remaining dust and the necklace itself. "I remembered you telling me about it being stolen from your mother, and then I heard a story about a necklace someone was trying to return to it's owner while I was investigating a case, and I just had this feeling that they were related."

Her mouth opened to speak, but she paused while he closed her door and climbed into the driver's seat. "What case were you investigating?"

His hand rested on the keys in the ignition and he sighed as he stared out the windscreen for a moment. "Snow, I have a lot to tell you, and I promise I will, just as soon as we find out what that sparkling dust is all about, okay? I want to make sure it's nothing to worry about first." He looked into the steel-grey eyes of his wife and smiled.

"What?" She dug again, his worry and his amusement seemed at odds to her.

"I was just thinking," he murmured as he turned the key and the engine rumbled to life, "about how I never needed that necklace to find you."

Snow smiled back at him. "Sometimes we put too much stake into objects, when the truth is, true loves will always find each other, regardless."

...

**Storybrooke Convent - Thursday, 2:53pm**

The fairies were gathered in the main hall, busy decorating sets for their upcoming community production of Romeo & Juliet. The Lost Boys sat around a table at one end practising their lines, erupting occasionally in bouts of laughter.

Astrid ran to fetch Blue at David's bequest, and the pair waited near the door for the knowledgeable, uptight woman to appear.

"Hi guys!" The couple turned and smiled at a tiny blonde grinning wildly at them. "Are you here to get your tickets?"

They greeted her as she stroked a delicate finger over the cheek of the just waking baby in David's arms.

"Uhh, actually we were here to see Blue, but yes I suppose we should get our tickets while we're here."

She whipped out a ticket book from the bag strapped around her waist. "Two for you, one for Emma, one for Henry?" She asked and held them out. Snow took them with her free hand and tucked them into her coat pocket.

"Snow, Charming. How may I help?" The pair stepped apart and turned as Mother Superior joined them.

Mary-Margaret held out her hand. "Blue, we were hoping you could tell us what this is."

The slender woman looked at the locket in Mary-Margaret's hand. "It is a necklace."

A gentle snort erupted from the blonde, which she attempted to cover by rubbing her nose and clearing her throat, though she still gained a glare from her boss.

"It's my mother's necklace, it is enchanted to only open for my family line." Snow explained.

"It's the dust we're interested in. It shimmers. We wanted to check what it was." David clarified.

Blue rubbed her finger through the dust in Snow's palm and raised her eyebrows as it took on a green luminescence before returning to grey. "It is pixie dust." Blue confirmed. "Very old pixie dust." She rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger and closed her eyes, her brow wrinkled in concentration. Her eyes popped open and locked onto Tink.

"You!" She growled.

Tink took a step back and her voice rose to a squeak, "Me?"

The nun straightened and leaned forward, an imposing figure looming over her shrinking subject. "You! This is stolen dust and it has you written all over it!"

"I only used stolen dust once and you've already punished me for it! I've seen Double Jeopardy, I know the rules!"

"Oh I love that film!" Mary-Margaret chirped. "Ashley Judd is such a strong woman, and the lengths she goes to for her fam--"

Blue cleared her throat and reined in her temper. "Green, you will tell me now what this is really about."

Tink glanced at the Charmings, her eyed flitting across their faces, her scowling boss, and landed on the floor. She twisted one foot and bit her lip. "It's kind of personal."

David reached out his hand and patted her shoulder. "I know it involves Regina and Robin, but please, Tink."

She grimaced slightly then puffed her cheeks as she exhaled. "Okay, well I didn't realise that Regina was off limits, and she was so unhappy that I stole the dust and tried to find her true love. It lead us to a bar, to the man with the lion tattoo..." her shoulder slumped, "but we all know how well that turned out."

Snow frowned. "Off limits?" Her question was met with stony silence. "What does any of this have to do with how that dust got into my mother's necklace?"

"Robin had the necklace." He hesitated, then decided against explaining the whole story of the different Robins just yet. "He must have had it when the dust lead to him."

Tink's nose scrunched up "Now that I think about it, he was holding something. I mean, he had a pint in one hand, but he was looking at something in his other hand." 

His wife shook her head. "I don't understand, why would Regina's true love spell lead to my mother's necklace?"

"She was already Queen when I cast the spell, your mother had passed. It wasn't her necklace, magically speaking."

"It was to be passed to me," Snow said softly, and her eyes widened as she looked up at her husband. "That doesn't mean... I mean, would that mean..." She turned to Blue. "Regina's true love..."

Blue carefully took the locket from Snow's hand and examined it. "The dust seems to be coating the interior of the locket. If, as you say, the locket only opens for you and your bloodline, I can't imagine it would have been open at the time. The pixie dust penetrated the enchantment."

Snow whispered to Charming. "But you're my true love."

He reached out for her left hand and squeezed it. "We know it's true, otherwise I couldn't have woken you from the sleeping curse."

A gasp caught their attention, and they turned to Tink whose hand was clamped over her mouth, her blue eyes bright and wide.

"What is it?" Snow asked.

Tink shook her head, her hand still firmly clamped over her mouth.

"Tell me!" She insisted, her confusion getting the better of her. "Please!"

"I can't," she admitted. "I promised I wouldn't interfere again."

David stilled and his head slowly turned to Blue. "Why would the pixie dust lead to an object instead of to the person themselves?"

Snow's head whipped around to her husband, and she locked her eyes on the head fairy. Blue smiled knowingly, and it caused the woman to huff exasperatedly. "Will one of you please tell me what's going on?"

The baby grizzled as David adjusted him into one arm, and he wrapped the other around his wife's shoulder. "You're forgetting someone, my love." She wrapped her arm around his lower back and slowly shook her head. "Blue?" He asked, pleadingly.

The fairy pursed her lips and smiled. "Pixie dust location cannot cross realms, or time. If the person's true love were in another realm, the locator spell would only lead to the best portal to reach them. If the person were located in another time, it would lead to the best object to identify them by when the time comes."

The Lost Boys laughed again at the other end of the hall, and Astrid dropped a pile of cue cards. A moment later Mary-Margaret's mouth fell open. "Emma?"

"You can't tell her!" Tink exclaimed in an insistent stage whisper. "Promise that you won't!"

The still stunned woman turned to the young fairy who was actually a lot older than she, though she didn't look it. "But if they're..."

Tink held up her hand. "I know you want Emma to be happy, and I know you know the joy that finding your true love brings, but look at them. They have found each other."

"Emma has Killian." Mary-Margaret frowned. 

"Regina told me how volatile she and Emma's relationship was when Emma first came to town, but Emma saved her from a fire anyway, and save her from the mob when the curse broke. She vowed to save her from the wraith, and she did, and it resulted in her being dragged into a foreign realm. Regina absorbed a death curse to save you both, then she sacrificed herself to try to save you all from the town's destruction, only to have Emma team up with her and together they saved Storybrooke and all it's citizens.

"Then together they rescued Henry, and then Regina gave Emma everything she could have ever dreamed of when she had to undo her first curse. But Emma returned to save us all from Zelena, but in the end it was Regina who defeated her because Henry and Emma believed in her. Then look at what happened when Emma brought Marian back; Emma vowed to bring back all the happy endings, including Regina's. Everything keeps coming back to the two of them, well, the three of them if you count Henry who we already know shares true love with both of them. They always try to save each other, they are always better when they work together. They bring out the best in each other. Hook is... he's safe for Emma. He's the same kind of selfish guy she always ends up with and she thinks she wants that familiarity, but her heart knows. Her heart keeps leading her back to Regina."

David looked at her open mouthed. "How do you know all that?"

Tink smiled. "I'm very social, and people like to talk. I can put two and two together. Plus I'm friends with Henry."

"Henry knows about them?" Mary-Margaret spluttered. 

The fairy shrugged. "He doesn't _know_ but he suspects and hopes."

"Of course he does." David grinned. "He's always a step ahead of everyone else."

"But you have to keep it a secret. All of you!" She insisted, and even stared at Mother Superior. 

"Why can't we help them to see?" Mary-Margaret whined.

The blonde took a deep breath. "Henry overheard Regina ask Emma how she could tell if she truly loved Robin or if she only loved him because she was supposed to. She hated that she knew what he was supposed to mean to her before she knew him, before she loved him, she felt it took away her choice. Again."

Mary-Margaret blanched. "Again," she repeated softly, then nodded and grasped onto David. "She's right! We can't interfere. If it is meant to be, they'll figure it out. They'll find each other with or without this necklace."

The sound of cardboard tearing distracted the woman from her moment of ecstatic revelation. Tink held out another ticket to the play. "One for Regina too," she grinned.

...

**Swan & Mills Residence - Thursday, 5:22pm**

Emma held her keys in her hand and looked at the shiny new one on her keyring, she ran her finger over it's sharp points, crisply cut earlier that day, and then jolted sharply as the door opened in front of her.

"Don't just stand there, Miss--" dark brown eyes caught sight of the long, flat box under the blonde sheriff's arm. "Is that my silverware?"

Emma smiled and held the box out to her, and Regina lifted the lid. "It is! Where was it?" She took the box from the blonde who followed her inside and shut the door behind them. 

"Gold had it." Emma leaned against the doorframe as Regina sat the box on the dining table.

The older woman turned, a confused expression on her face. "Gold? Why would he..."

Emma grimaced. "Um, well... Biff... kinda pawned it."

Anger flared in Regina's eyes. "Of course," she growled. "Do you have his number?"

"What?" Emma straightened, her phone already in her hand having just liberated it from the tight pocket of her jeans. She thought about the number she had stared at many a time, resisting the urge to call and tell the man what a useless, worthless, asshole of a guy he was, and she longed to tell him to watch his back. Not because she intended to go after him, but just to fuck with his mind.

"Do you have his number?" Regina asked again, slowly, purposefully, and angrily. Her eyes narrowed. "You do!" She reached to snatch Emma's phone, which she missed as Emma darted it out of reach just in time.

"Regina, you don't--"

"Give it to me!" She demanded, and stepped up close enough to Emma for her angry puffs of breath to cause the locks hanging down past her cheek to tickle her neck and caused her to shiver. She raised her arm and held the phone up out of Regina's reach, who in her flat slip-on shoes that she wore around the house sometimes, as Emma recently found out, was shorter than the blonde by precious few inches.

They stared at each other, inches apart, then Regina smiled sweetly and stepped away. She watched her walk out of the room, but it wasn't until she heard the door to the study close and the snick of the lock that she felt her hand suddenly go empty. She clomped across the foyer in her boots which she knew she should have removed at the door and banged on the study door. "Regina! You can't just poof my things away! Give it back!" She banged again, then stopped as she heard Regina's voice inside, and she wasn't talking to her. Her hand froze in mid-strike, and her fist clenched. She sighed then stepped away to give the woman her privacy.

Henry appeared at the top of the stairs. "Mom? What's going on?"

She turned and had the decency to look a little guilty. "Sorry, Henry. It's nothing. Go finish your homework, 'kay? I'll be up in a minute." He watched her warily but nodded and retreated to his bedroom.

After removing her boots and jacket and placing them in the hall cupboard, she rummaged through the pantry for a snack, relieved at least that Regina was too preoccupied to tell her off again for doing so. She padded out of the kitchen and paused again at the study door, and gritted her teeth at the sound of Regina's gentle laughter on the other side. 

Emma shoved half the chocolate bar in her mouth and chewed, desperate to quench the urgent hunger-nausea that had crept up on her, and jogged up the stairs to see her son.

Hours later, after collecting her phone from where it had been left on the hall table, the battery symbol flashing, and after a pleasant dinner using Regina's regular cutlery, the silverware nowhere in sight, and after Henry going off to bed, Regina lifted the crystal bottle from the side table in her study. "Scotch?"

The blonde nodded, and looked at the phone vibrating in her hand. She pressed the button to send the call to voicemail and caught Regina's raised eyebrow. "It's just Hook," she shrugged, "my battery is low, I'll call him back later." She waited until she had a glass of the amber liquid in her had before asking the question that had been gnawing at her all night. "How did it go with Ro-- Biff?"

Regina waved her hand. "Oh I didn't speak to him. Marian answered the call." She smiled and her eyes twinkled. "We had quite an enjoyable conversation."

"You told her that we know about her?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I did. I congratulated her on her decade-long deception." She sipped her drink, the ice clinked in her glass. "She really is quite a remarkable woman."

Emma sipped her drink herself and tried to bite back the frustration that Marian was now friendly with Regina, who had held Emma responsible for ruining her life by saving her.

"She kicked him out of the apartment." Regina shook Emma from her thoughts.

Pale pink lips opened, then curled slightly at the corners. "Really?"

"Yes. Apparently Roland happened to mention a few of the tricks Biff had taught him to help him pick up women, so she took his key and phone and kicked him to the kerb." She swirled her glass and took a larger sip. "She did warn me he may be trying to come back here, since he doesn't know that I know."

"He better fucking not." Emma growled, and her shoulders tensed.

Regina chuckled, a deep rumble which warmed Emma as much as the scotch did, and she walked across the room to where the blonde stood in front of the unlit fireplace. She leaned in and pressed the corner of her lips to Emma's rosy cheek just above her jawline. "Thank you," she murmured, her breath cool against Emma's heated skin. She stepped back without making eye-contact, knocked back the last of her drink and left Emma standing in the study alone, subconsciously touching her fingers to her cheek.

...

**Storybrooke Docks - Friday, 5:11pm**

When she had heard the call come in that there was a complaint of public indecency at the docks, she had gratefully allowed her father to respond. But after a few minutes she realised that she couldn't, that she wouldn't delay the inevitable any longer.

All week she had avoided her... well they weren't even officially together, really, they'd never discussed actually being boyfriend and girlfriend. Apart from the one very strange date they had been on, she and Hook had just fallen into this routine of kind of just being... together. It was nice to have a hand to hold, an arm around her when she felt low, someone swearing they had her back. But they hadn't progressed, they hadn't scratched the surface of anything deeper, she just felt blank when she was with him, and blank was good when it was better than feeling bad, but she didn't want blankness any more.

Regina's words had been playing on her mind as well, and although he had changed since he betrayed them all, since he had teamed up with Cora and Mendell, since he had... well, since he'd played a part in something Regina never talked about but obviously bothered her, she just hadn't seen him show any true remorse over it. He'd shot Belle, he'd almost left all of them to die, and she had been trying to quiet the voice in the back of her head which told her he was lying to her. She didn't want to live her life quietening that voice when time after time throughout her life it proved itself to be correct.

She pulled the bug up next to the cruiser in the car park, zipped her jacket up and pulled her beanie down further over her ears. The cold wind coming in off the sea was icy, and the moisture in the air promised rain in the not-too-distant future.

"You can't just urinate off the side of the boat, Hook." David's jacket opened as he widened his stance and placed his hands on his hips. "This isn't the Seven Seas, there are children here, people don't need to see you waving the little captain around in public."

"Public?" Hook crowed and outstretched his arms. "This is my home! And the little captain's, although he's not too little," he winked.

David ignored the comment and looked around the ramshackle house-boat in mid-renovation, it's deck littered with tools, pieces of wood, and tins of paint holding down the plastic sheeting that covered the holes in the deck. "I'm not sure this is safe enough to live in."

"Worried about my safety are you, mate?" Hook wobbled a little as he took a step forward. "That's more than can be said for your daughter." He cocked his head to the side and took another step. "I hear you have a spare room at your place now..."

"Emma told you she moved into Regina's, did she?" 

The pirate scoffed and glanced out to the horizon. "Alas, I had to hear it through the rumour mill. Seems my own girlfriend doesn't even want to speak to me at the moment." He gestured to his work in progress. "When all I'm doing is trying to be the man I was before I lost it all." He rubbed the scruff on his chin. "Maybe you, Charming, could rescue the poor fellow who saved your life from his attempt at rebuilding what he lost trying to save your family for a second time."

"Hook..." David warned as the shorter man took another step closer, too close for comfort. His baby blue eyes were red-rimmed from the alcohol, and the sheriff could smell rum on his breath.

"I did save your life, don't you think you owe me anything?"

A hand generously endowed with rings slid up the blond's side, and his thumb stroked the spot where the arrow laced with dreamshade had nearly killed him. David knew he couldn't step back, the deck behind him rotten and unsafe, and he looked around the pier, deserted except for a lone figure walking towards them. "Hook, whatever you're doing, you need to stop."

"Do you have a scar, Charming? Do you think of me when you see it?" 

"Hook," David warned, "you need to stop." He had often seen the way the pirate looked at him, and though it was strange, given the man's apparent affection for his daughter, it was also somewhat flattering. He hadn't expected him to act on it, though.

The dark-haired man grinned cheekily. "You'd stop me if you really wanted me to." His hand slid around until his thumb was instead brushing over David's nipple.

David frowned. "I shouldn't have to make you stop, Hook. I have asked you to, that's enough."

"Come on, Charming. You know you want to."

The sheriff felt his blood start to boil, not only as a lawman being confronted by the disgusting entitlement the pirate was expressing, but as a prince whose job it was to keep his people safe from harm. As a father, he wanted nothing more than to rid his daughter of her attachment of convenience or fear or whatever it was that prevented her from choosing someone who would treat her well, and despite his differences with Regina, especially in the past, he knew that woman loved deeply, and more recently with the fiercest desire to do right by her loved one.

As he watched the figure approach them out of the corner of his eye, he waited and was not surprised by the move he had expected of the other man. His hand clutched a fistful of his khaki uniform shirt and roughly he pulled their faces together. He reached between them and clutched at the lapels of his leather jacket and shoved him away, breaking their kiss as he felt a tongue try to force it's way between his lips. "I told you to stop," he shouted and pushed past the man to climb up over the side of the boat and back onto the dock, where he pretended to notice the person nearby for the first time.

"Emma!" He said.

His daughter had stopped in her tracks, mouth agape, and her eyes darted between her father and Hook. "What..."

"I told him to stop. I'm sorry, Emma." He genuinely felt bad, although he knew it was for the best if they broke up, he instantly regretted playing a part in it. He silently wished he could take it back, worried that his rash decision would harm their relationship, and though he knew Snow would understand why he did it, he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

Emma held up her hands and laughed loudly. "I'm not even..." she gasped, "I don't..." she looked at Hook, who was struggling to balance as he pulled himself up onto the pier.

"Swan, love. It's not what it looked like."

"Emma, I'm so sorry." David said again, as Emma fought to regain her breath.

She stepped forward and hugged him. "I don't know what that's all about, but it's okay, Dad." He wrapped his arms around her small form and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "Hook and I need to talk."

After a moment he reluctantly let her go, and he wandered back up to the bench seat near the carpark, adamant he wouldn't leave his daughter alone with the pirate that evening, just in case. He watched as she helped him back down onto his boat, watched as they talked on deck even as it began to rain, watched as Hook tried to coax her inside the cabin and smiled as she steadfastly refused. 

Eventually he stood and stretched as she climbed up onto the pier and walked towards him with a spring in her step he hadn't seen in a long time. 

"You waited for me?" She asked as she approached, soaking wet. "In this weather?"

"Of course." He smiled.

She smiled back at him. "We broke up. Well, we broke off... whatever that was anyway. But apparently he's okay with it, he said he has plenty of options, as demonstrated."

"Ah," he said, and shifted awkwardly.

"I presume that was the aim of the little show you put on for me." She raised an eyebrow and he felt his cheeks flush.

"Erhm," he rubbed the back of his head, wet hair plastered against his skin, "you saw right through that, huh?"

She leaned in and he instinctively put his arm around her as they walked. "Yeah. I did suspect he liked you, but I didn't think you had noticed, let alone would play it up."

David frowned. "I didn't actually. I really did ask him to stop."

"I know," she said softly, "I wanted to believe so bad that people can change but I guess some will always stay the same old asshole."

He opened the door to her bug for her. "People can change, Emma. Look at Regina, she's a million miles from where she was a few years ago."

Emma sat in the driver's seat. "Yeah," she pressed her lips together as she thought for a moment, "I think it's easier when you're changing back to who the person you always were deep down inside."

...

**Swan & Mills Residence - Friday, 5:51pm**

Once again the door swung open before she had a chance to use her new key, and she briefly wondered if Regina had some magical way of knowing she was nearby before she remembered how distinctive the sound of the Bug was.

"You're late!" Regina hissed, and dragged Emma inside. "Your family will be here in half an hour," she looked the blonde up and down, at the darkened clothing and the water dripping from the tips of blonde curls, "and you're soaked again!"

Emma had a flashback to the previous weekend, which seemed so much longer ago than it actually was, and looked at the splotches of water hitting the floor at her feet. "Yeah, sorry. I'll mop up in a sec."

Regina waved her hand and the floor was dry, then she turned on her heel and returned to the kitchen. "Go and clean yourself up before you catch your death. I won't play nursemaid to you, Miss Swan."

The blonde looked down at herself, only slightly drier than she was a moment ago, just enough to not drip everywhere. "Aww, come on Regina. Can't you just magic me dry again?"

"Magic yourself dry!" 

"You haven't taught me that one yet," Emma whined. "Please?"

Still stirring a pot on the stove, she called out. "HENRY! Please can you set the table?" She glanced at Emma's pleading eyes over her shoulder and sighed. "Just close your eyes and think of being warm and dry, out of your wet clothes and--" There was a clatter behind her and she whirled around in time to see the walk-in pantry door pull almost shut, fingers curled around the edge of the door. "Emma?"

She cleared her throat and opened the door a fraction so as to not pinch her fingers quite so hard. "Uhh, I seem to have, umm, magicked myself naked. Somehow." She heard Regina chuckle and rolled her eyes, suspecting the woman would make her fix her own mistake, only now she was too flustered to have any semblance of control over her magic. At least she wouldn't starve, she thought as she looked around the well-stocked cupboard.

A gentle knock on the door surprised her. "Umm, yes?" 

Emma felt soft towelling brush against her fingertips. "For you." She reached out and felt a plush robe get pressed into her hand. She dragged it in through the gap and emerged, red-faced but decent, from the pantry just as Henry entered the room. 

"Oh, hey Mom," he looked at her quizzically. "What were you doing in the--"

"Henry, less questions, more setting the table please. Your grandparents will be here soon." Regina pointed the clean wooden spoon at him before dunking it into some kind of sauce and stirring gently.

The boy shrugged and headed out to the dining room, an amused smile on his face.

"Thanks," Emma said quietly.

Regina took a breath and relaxed slightly. "Where were you this time, anyway?"

"The docks." Regina tensed again. "Breaking up with Hook." She hurried past the surprised woman and upstairs to see if she could find her clothes, and to put on fresh ones.

She decided to take a shower anyway, despite drying herself off she was still chilled, and she really didn't want to get sick as Regina had suggested she might. She practiced again when she was out of the shower and imagined her hair dry and styled, and when she opened her eyes it fell in curls over her shoulders. She smiled, and hastily pulled on her black jeans, and buttoned up her new light-grey shirt over a clean tank.

The doorbell rang as she was halfway down the stairs, still tucking her shirt into her pants. "I'll get it!" She called, but Regina was already striding out of the kitchen. "It's okay, I can get it." Emma said as they walked side by side.

"A good host always greets her guests." Regina said stiffly, then ran her fingers through her hair and patted her hands on her apron. Her eyes widened as she realised she was still wearing it, and she hastily untied it. Emma reached for the door handle, but pulled away as the balled-up apron was shoved at her belly, and she held onto it as Regina let go and reached for the door herself.

"Snow, Charming." She greeted calmly, her face schooled into a politician's smile, although there was a hint of actual warmth when her eyes reached the baby that she hadn't managed to hide, at least not from Emma. 

Mary-Margaret's big grey eyes dampened as Emma nudged Regina aside so she could see around the door. "Hey," she greeted her parents.

The taller brunette stepped over the threshold and threw one arm around Regina's neck unexpectedly and pulled her close, squashing her young son between them. Charming cleared his throat and his wife released the poor woman and stepped around her to do the same to Emma.

Regina watched bemusedly, a single eyebrow raised, and Charming smiled apologetically. "Sorry," he whispered, "must be the hormones." 

...

**Mills Vault - Sunday, 4:04pm**

The blonde approached the vault cautiously, the door was wide open, the coffin pushed aside, the staircase into Regina's previously secret lair exposed for all the world to see. She knocked on the door as she entered. "Hello?"

At the lack of reply she descended the stairs, the fine hairs on her arms raised and she wished she had told someone where she was going... just in case. "Hello?" She called again, though her voice squeaked with fear.

She was about to turn and run when the brunette's head popped around a corner. "Hello, dear."

Tink jumped and clutched her chest. "Oh! Regina! There you are."

"Sorry, Tink. I was in the library. Please, come in." She gestured for the fairy to follow her deeper into the candle-lit rabbit warren, and she reluctantly did. They reached a room set out with chairs and a coffee table, an open bottle of wine and a half-full glass sat on it. Regina plucked another glass out of a nearby cupboard. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

Tink nodded blankly, and looked at the wine in her hand. 

"It isn't poisoned, dear. I promise."

The short woman giggled nervously and gulped before taking a sip. The wine was a light, spicy red, and she waited nervously for any side effects. She looked around at all the books around the room, bookmarks in many sections, some laid open. "What are you looking for?"

Regina topped up her own glass and placed the stopper back in the bottle. "Oh, I'm trying to find a way to cure Marian so that she may return to Storybrooke. It doesn't make sense to me that she remained cursed, it should have died along with Ingrid."

"Why?" Tink asked, and sipped again at her wine.

"That is how curses are supposed to work, they remain in place until broken, revoked, or the caster dies."

The blonde set down her glass. "Oh, I know. I meant why are you trying to find a cure?"

Regina cleared a space on the sofa and gestured for Tink to take a seat. "I have been in contact with Marian recently, and I don't think it fair she is banished to the god-forsaken land without magic in all it's filth and fury through no fault of her own. Unfortunately we're not all lucky enough to have our child be our true love."

Tink smiled widely for a moment, then her face fell and she cringed.

"What?"

She fiddled with the lace hem of her oversized cowl-neck top. "I just.. so Robin isn't her true love?"

Regina stared at her curiously. "No. Robin is not."

"He's not yours either."

A long silence hung in the air, and Regina cleared her throat. "He isn't?"

Tink shook her head. "No. I should have told you sooner."

"I did notice that you have been avoiding me."

The blonde ducked her head. "I messed up, Regina. I only just realised, but I made a huge mistake. I cast that spell and used the dust to find your happiness but I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't know how to interpret it, and..."

"That man in the tavern wasn't my soul mate?" 

The fairy chanced a look at Regina's face expecting disappointment and anger, and was confused by the relief evident. "No, I'm sorry."

The brunette smiled. "No need to apologise, that's the best news I have had all day."

"It is?"

Regina smiled. "Yes, dear. I invited you here today because Emma suggested I speak with you about why your little party trick lead me where it did. You have no idea what a relief it is to know that my true soulmate is still out there." 

Tink's mouth fell open. "Did you want to try it again?"

"Oh heavens, no!" Regina exclaimed.

... 

**Swan & Mills Residence - Sunday, 6:20pm**

Emma dropped the saucepan lid with a clatter as Regina and Tink appeared behind her in the kitchen amidst a cloud of purple smoke. They giggled and shuffled out of the way as Emma tried to pick it up then swore as it burnt her fingers.

"I've been trying to call you." She grumbled. "It's the first time you let me cook you dinner and then you're about two minutes from being late for it."

Tink elbowed Regina. "Uh oh, Majesty is in trouble with the missus." Regina tried to cover her giggle with a hand over her mouth, but Emma just glared at them both. 

"You're drunk." 

Regina pointed at Tink. "She is."

Tink pointed at Regina. "It's her fault."

Emma looked Regina over, the relaxed sway, the lack of tension around her eyes, the slightly uneven reapplication of red lipstick over her full lips. "I bet it is." She narrowed her eyes. Why don't you go and get Henry, and I'll dish up."

"HENRY!" Regina bellowed, and Emma flinched at the volume right in her face. Tink snickered and leaned against the counter. Regina grinned widely and Emma shook her head in resignation. She chuckled and pointed at the kitchen table. "Go on, go sit down."

Henry thundered down the stairs and entered the kitchen. "Hey, Mom. Hey, Tink." He took a look at the stove over his mother's shoulder. "Spaghetti and meatballs? YUM!"

"Get the salad out of the refrigerator, please."

Regina giggled at the look on Henry's face that Emma couldn't see, but sobered her expression as soon as the blonde looked at her.

Emma fished out a piece of spaghetti with a fork and tasted it. Her face scrunched. "Make that five minutes."

"Tink, come and look at something?" Henry jogged out of the kitchen and Tink followed quickly after him.

Regina wandered up behind Emma and rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder to watch her stirring the thickening sauce, and her hands instinctively rested on her waist.

Emma swore her heart actually leapt into her throat. "Why are you in such a good mood?" She managed to ask. Regina let her go as she turned, and they ended up standing close together, facing each other, while the younger woman continued stirring with her right hand.

Regina hummed contentedly. "Tink got her spell wrong. I have never been so happy at someone's incompetence before. He wasn't my soul mate."

"Wrong how? Who is it, then?" Emma's hand stilled.

"Don't know, don't care. Well, I do care, but I don't care to find out. I only care that I am free of all that now."

Emma grinned. "That's a lot of caring."

"I care." Regina tried to look nonchalant. 

The blonde looked back at the sauce and switched off the burner as it plopped away, a little thicker than it needed to be. "I'm really happy for you, though."

Regina reached out and ran her thumb across Emma's cheek, wiping up the droplet of sauce that had spattered onto her, and sucked it into her mouth. "Thank you." She said quietly, her voice husky and soft.

There was a thump from the foyer and both women spun around to see Henry helping Tink back up from where she had just been splayed on the floor. "Tripped over my own feet!" She giggled.

Emma turned back to Regina. "Well this is good, anyway. Hopefully when we find the author it will be easier for him to write you a better ending with your actual true love or soul mate or whatever than try to fix that mess we thought he'd have to, with the married man and all that."

"No," Regina said firmly, "I don't want to find the Author right now. I just want to enjoy what I have right in front of me." She smiled at her son over Emma's shoulder, and traced Emma's profile with her eyes when the younger woman turned as well to look at their son again.

It was after dinner as they ate cherry pie with a generous serving of vanilla icecream that Emma fell silent. A hand touched her arm. "Are you okay?" Regina asked.

Henry and Tink's conversation stalled as they looked at Emma.

"Yeah, I was just thinking. Marian froze after eating icecream, right? What if it wasn't a curse but a potion of some sort in the icecream?"

Regina stared at her, deep in thought, and the other two at the table stared at her waiting for an answer. "Actually, you could be onto something there. A potion would outlast it's creator, but if I can figure out what it was, I might be able to create an antidote."

"I just don't understand why Ingrid would want to kill Marian. What did she have against her?" Emma's face was pinched in confusion. "She wanted me, so was it because I brought Marian here? She thought Marian was a threat to her because I saved her life?"

"In that case she should have tried to hurt Mom because you've saved her life too," Henry chipped in.

Tink looked between the women and realised that they hadn't even considered that it had been a distraction to keep Regina occupied with Robin - or, Biff she supposed, though that revelation still had her mind in a spin - and away from Emma. Or to actually get rid of Marian so that Regina and 'Robin' could be together. Ingrid must have known, and known of and exploited her mistake with the pixie dust, and she couldn't say it. She rose quickly. "Sorry, I have to get back to the convent. Blue... the Lost Boys... I have to go."

Regina stood and followed as her friend fled the room. "Tink? Are you okay?"

"Yep!" She replied with false brightness. "Thanks for dinner, Emma! See you at the play!"

"What was that all about?" Emma asked as Regina returned to the dining room.

With a shrug, she replied, "No idea. I do hope you're right though. An antidote to a freezing potion is far easier to come by than a person's true love to break a curse."

Emma chuckled. "Tell that to this family." She pointed to Henry. "This one breaks every curse he comes across."

...

**_THREE MONTHS LATER_ **

**Swan & Mills Residence - Wednesday, 10:04pm**

Regina swore as her phone rang and the smiling faces of her son and his other mother appeared on her screen. She had confiscated the bell that she had given to the blonde to summon her when necessary since the Sheriff seemed to have a much looser interpretation of 'necessary' than she did herself.

"Yes, Miss Swan?" She answered curtly.

"Regina, I'm so bored."

The brunette pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "You've only been bedridden for five hours." She was beginning to regret her decision to refuse to heal the blonde's injuries again, deeming that the result of her assistance multiple times, first a broken collarbone, then a dislocated finger, and later a nasty bump on the head, was only causing the woman to be more reckless, and care less about her own health and safety. 

So this time, when the Sheriff had jumped a fence while chasing a kid she caught, spray-can in hand, tagging the back of the pharmacy, she steadfastly refused to heal her and instead insisted she would have to recover the old fashioned way. God forbid the idiot did something extra stupid and caused herself a more serious injury when Regina wasn't around to fix it, she needed Henry's other mother to think about the consequences of her actions before acting. It was something she would have to nurture in her since nature clearly wouldn't be of any assistance in the matter, and despite how frustrating she had been all evening, Regina tried to keep the end goal in mind. "Why don't you just watch that Netflix series Ruby was telling us about?"

Ruby and Belle had been joining them at Mifflin Street every week or two for a drink and a game of pool, and the last time they had caught up Ruby had talked non stop about a great new show that she was madly in love with. Even Belle had been quite adamant that it was entirely worth watching, had diverse representation, a female-centric focus, and it dealt with serious issues in a humorous but respectful way.

"It's no fun by myself. Come and watch it with meeeee!"

Regina looked at the town paperwork spread out across her desk, and though she felt a slight unease. After Mary-Margaret decided she would rather spend time with baby Neal and then return to teaching, she abdicated her throne, so to speak, and handed the town reins back to Regina in the interim while an election was run. Despite winning by a decent amount and having the well-loved folk hero Marian as her deputy, all thawed out and back in town with Roland thanks to her antidote, she put extra pressure on herself to remain in the good books of the townsfolk. Still, the budget review wasn't due for another two weeks so she decided that the numbers could wait, since no doubt the blonde would not let her concentrate for any length of time anyway. "Fine."

"Cool! Bring popcorn!" Emma said excitedly and hung up.

As she climbed the stairs for the seventh time that evening, Regina, bowl of popcorn in hand, sighed and waved her hand to turn off all the downstairs lights and lock all the doors and windows. She crept along the hallway, past their son's room, and knocked lightly on Emma's door. 

"Come in!" Emma said excitedly, and the bed squeaked as she wriggled to one side of the large bed. Her sprained ankle was propped up on a pillow underneath the covers, and she had to lay slightly sideways, facing the middle of the bed to get comfortable.

Regina placed the bowl in front of the invalid and turned to close the door. With another wave of her hand she was in her dark grey silk pyjamas, and she pulled the bedcovers back and climbed in. "Alright," she said as she plucked one of the pillows from behind Emma and added it to the one behind her back, "put it on then."

Emma fluffed her remaining pillows and settled down in a lower position. She hit the play button and leaned over to switch off her bedside lamp, leaving the only light in the room as the laptop screen. The music started a little loud and Emma turned the volume down a few notches so they wouldn't disturb Henry in the next room over.

_I've always loved getting clean. I love baths, I love showers._

"Holy shit."

_It's my happy place._

"Are you sure this is the programme they were talking about?"

A loud buzzer sounded and the screen changed to a prison shower block. 

_Was my happy place._

"Yep." Emma said flatly.

Regina recoiled. "Oh my god. That's disgusting. Is it really like that?"

"I was only in juvie, Regina."

"I know, but, I mean how filthy and crowded it is." Regina had been to baths fed by natural hot springs on her travels through the Enchanted Forest where none of the woman had worn clothing either, yet the prison showers had a distasteful lack of choice about them that was nothing to do with the nudity and everything to do with purposeful stripping of dignity.

"Yep. Pretty much."

For the first time it dawned on Regina how her attempt to smear the young deputy upon her arrival to town with the front page expose of her criminal history would have cut deeper than she had imagined. That it wasn't just something she was caught and locked up for, but the lowest point in her life, abandoned, alone, confined, degraded, and forced to make the most difficult and meaningful decision of her young life. One which made Regina the best, most important change in Regina's life, one which gave her the one thing she always wanted and felt she would never have; someone to love. A shiver ran down her spine, and she swallowed and tried to concentrate back on the farewell party on screen.

After a few minutes Emma snorted quietly.

"I should have known you would enjoy the toilet humour."

"Everyone loves a fart joke, Regina. Just let me enjoy something about this trip down memory lane, okay?"

Regina reached out and paused the show at the moment the main character was crying on the toilet. "Do you want to stop it?"

"No, it's okay." Their hands brushed against each other as Emma pressed play. "They both reckon it's worth watching, I'll give it a chance."

Suddenly she smelled chocolate and cinnamon, and she could see the silhouette of a mug against the brightness of the screen, wisps of magic smoke dissipating. "For you, if you want it."

Their fingers brushed again as Emma took the mug offered. "Thanks."

Almost two and a half episodes later, Regina realised Emma had fallen asleep when she rolled more onto her tummy, her cheek smushed against Regina's shoulder, and her hand slid up her inner arm to hold her bicep like a teddy bear. She smiled softly, despite the small patch of drool on her shoulder, and decided to finish watching the episode before she went to bed, but half an hour later she found she couldn't bring herself to extricate herself from Emma's warm embrace. Instead, she shut down the laptop and placed it beside the bed then tried to wriggle down under the covers.

At some point in the night she briefly drifted back to consciousness when she rolled herself toward the edge of the bed, and she felt Emma let go of her arm only to stretch, wrap her arm around Regina's middle and pull her tightly into little spoon position. She was cold from having not pulled the covers up around herself earlier, and the warm body pressed up against her lulled her back to sleep before she had any time to properly rouse herself and go to her own bed.

...

**Swan & Mills Residence - Thursday, 6:03am**

Henry woke to the sound of his mother's alarm clock, but unlike other mornings he hadn't heard her immediately switch it off and get into the shower. No, this morning it had been beeping for three minutes and he was grumpy at being woken an hour before he needed to get up.

He climbed out of bed and grabbed his phone, clearly showing the 57 minute countdown to his own alarm clock, but as he flung open the door to her room he was set back by the empty room, the bed perfectly made and even he knew Regina only made the beds after he got in the shower after breakfast. With a push of a button the infuriating beeping stopped.

Confusedly he stumbled back out into the hallway and listened for noises down in the kitchen, but the house was as silent as ever. He wandered down the other end, past his own bedroom, and quietly turned the handle, knowing his other mother wouldn't ever willingly be awake this early either, but he wondered if she knew where Regina was.

When he saw the two figures in the bed together, so close they appears as one lump under the covers, he felt his heart jump into his throat, and he was equally ecstatic and worried they would notice that he'd seen them, which would surely only drive a wedge between the casual affection they seemingly didn't notice they showed each other _all the damn time._

He realised he still had his phone in his hand, and he raised it and opened an app. With a click, and a small vibration, luckily soundless as he hadn't switched his phone off silent since school the day before, he pulled the door closed and stood in the hall as he typed "Operation Mongoose 90% complete" and selected the recipients.

A short time later, Ruby's wolf hearing picked up the sound of Snow White's excited squeal and knew she too had received Henry's Snapchat photo. 

Henry looked at his phone as he poured two coffees and put milk and sugar in one, and only sugar in the other, just how they liked them, and noticed a notification.

 **Charmed MM**  
a few seconds ago - Screenshot! (1)

He quickly swiped his finger across the screen and typed out a message to her.

Me  
|Grandma! You can't keep that!

Charmed MM  
|I have to, Henry! It's too adorable not to!  
|I promise not to say anything.

He considered her history and a distinct feeling of unease settle over him, so he decided to keep her in line with a little emotional manipulation.

Me  
|You'd better not! I still don't think they know. If you ruin this for me I stg... I already lost one parent.

"Who are you texting this early, kid?" Emma asked as she wandered into the kitchen, a light blue fleece robe wrapped around her but her feet bare against the cold tiles. She spotted the coffees on the counter and forgot to wait for an answer. "Oh god, you're the best kid ever."

She picked them both up and turned to leave, and a smile crossed his face at how oblivious his mothers were to how often they automatically thought of each other.

"Ma, you're not limping." He pointed out. 

She paused and looked at her feet, "Huh, yeah," and looked back over her shoulder at him. "Guess I just had to be extra annoying and she'd do anything just to shut me up."

With a grin she carried the coffees upstairs, and Henry shook his head. "Well you got one part right, she _would_ do anything for you," he muttered to himself, and returned to threatening his grandmother into silence by Snapchat.

Emma pushed the door open with her foot and placed the coffee on top of the laptop on Regina's side of her bed. The brunette stretched and sat up, and took in her surroundings with wide eyes.

"Surprise," Emma chuckled.

"I'm only surprised that you're actually out of bed before me." She rolled her shoulder and cricked her neck.

"What can I say? Getting kicked out of someone else's bed is one thing, getting kicked out of my own would be another I'd rather avoid."

She watched Emma's robe-clad rear as she rummaged around in her closet for the slippers Regina had bought her when she'd insisted that Emma's predilection for wearing fluffy socks that she could slide around the house in like Tom Cruise was childish - although she had momentarily reconsidered when, out of rebellion the morning after she had bought her the slippers, Emma had copied the man right down to the half-unbuttoned, popped-collar pink shirt and white boyleg briefs. Her Bob Seger impression had left a lot to be desired, not that Regina or Henry had cared over their hysterical laughter.

She noticed the coffee and picked it up. "God, Emma, don't put drinks on top of electronic equipment!" She took a sip and found it to be exactly as she loved her coffee. "Thank you, though."

"Thank our son," Emma said, and emerged from the cupboard triumphantly, slippers in hand, "and thank you for fixing my ankle!"

Regina's eyes darted down to the formerly swollen and bruised extremity and frowned. "I assure you I did no such thing."

"Sure, sure." Emma grinned. "It's okay, I already knew you were a total soft touch."

Her feet now on the floor as she tore herself away from the warmth of Emma's bed, Regina shivered. "I am not," she said petulantly as Emma flounced out of the room.

...

**Mayor's Office - Thursday, 8:51am**

Marian switched on her computer, and smiled again, as she did every morning, as the photo of her darling boy popped up as her background. She thanked Regina again for bringing them back to Storybrooke, having found this world a confusing place with only knowledge of the Forest lands she had come from. She hated feeling stupid for not knowing the basic things, like the value of the different types of money here, how to use modern appliances, and even how to use sanitary items.

Upon her return and the success of Regina's antidote to the magical poison that had forced her departure, she had allowed Regina to instil in her not quite memories, but that ingrained knowledge people have of how the world works. She now knew how to drive a car, use a digital camera, and she had smiled to herself when she realised that Regina had also given her knowledge of how to use political power to benefit the vulnerable members of society before casually offering her the job as Deputy Mayor. As if she wouldn't have taken the opportunity.

She and Roland had stayed at Granny's for a few weeks, on Regina's tab, until one day they had bumped into Mulan in the greengrocer and Roland had started crying with excitement at seeing his old friend again. It turned out Mulan had joined the Merry Men only to figure out they weren't quite as honourable as the legend lead her to believe. Still, she had stayed with them in large part to care for Roland, but had been on a mission when they had met up with the Storybrooke group when they returned to the Enchanted Forest, yet somehow had been plucked from being chased by a visiting Agrabahn General's men for releasing their slave girls when the second curse had torn through the land, and had kept to herself, and kept her distance from her lost love, while she learned how to live in this strange world.

Roland had been thrilled to see her though, and after a few visits, Mulan had offered for Marian and Roland to move in to her apartment. It was only a two bedroom, but it was nice to have their own place again after only a room at Granny's. Mulan had started working the evening shift as Deputy Sheriff, and was free to look after Roland after kindergarten. The arrangement suited all of them brilliantly, and Marian was quickly becoming friends with the reserved young warrior, and she admired her honour and integrity.

She had also been spending time with Regina in social settings, which Roland loved but had surprised not only themselves, but the townsfolk who would stop and stare. Out of respect for Regina's privacy they hadn't told many people about the pixie dust debacle, though Marian had tried to convince her friend she had no reason to be ashamed of seeking her happiness. Still, Regina seemed to prefer the odd suspicious look to the pity she believed she would received, or worse - scorn, and so Marian respected her request.

She just wished that Regina would wake up and see the happiness she already had, and this morning it seemed her wish came true. Henry's Snapchat photo of his mothers curled up together in bed had brought a tear to her eye and a smile to the face of the stoic Deputy Sheriff as they drank their morning coffee.

As the sound of high heels approached their now shared office, she tried to school her expression into a regular morning friendliness.

"Good morning, Marian," Regina said, and placed a take-away coffee cup on her desk.

"Good morning, Regina," she replied, and she couldn't help herself. "You look very refreshed this morning. Did you sleep well?"

...

**Swan & Mills Residence - Saturday, 4:46pm**

The doorbell rang, although there was no need for it since the wailing baby announced the visitor's arrival well in advance of reaching the door. Emma opened the door and a flustered Belle entered, Neal thrashing in her arms, and a dishevelled Ruby awkwardly manoeuvred the nappy bag, a blanket, a portable crib and a small sack of toys in through the open doorway.

Regina held her hands out for the baby while Emma helped Ruby carry her little brother's things into the study, where the fire had been lit and soft music was playing.

"We're so sorry to do this to you," Belle started, tears in her eyes, "but he just won't settle, and it's the first break Mary-Margaret has had since he started teething, we just didn't want to call them back so soon if you two could calm him down instead."

"It's fine, dear," Regina assured, jiggling the boy in her arms and pressing kisses against his milky skin. "Don't feel bad, babies can be very fussy and clingy at this stage, don't take it personally." 

"Thanks, guys," Ruby said as she put her arm around Belle and guided the distressed woman out of the house.

Regina shushed the boy softly, his cries already weakening to a doleful grizzle, and she indicated for Emma to take him once she had clipped together his crib and put a few of his toys in it for if they ever got him to settle enough to be put into it. "Here, you take him while I go and warm up a bottle."

Neal's lip trembled as he jerkily inhaled mid-sob, but he continued to calm in his sister's arms, and his hand reached up and his surprisingly strong little fingers took hold of a lock of hair. A few minutes later he had calmed, but he still refused his bottle. Emma swayed with him in time to the music. "It's okay, little Squirt. Your mommy and daddy haven't left you. They still love you. "

"You wouldn't even be here if they didn't," Regina added, and dimmed the lights to help ease the tired baby off into slumber. 

Emma cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"You're true love babies. Regardless of fertility, you wouldn't exist if both your parents didn't want you with every fibre of their being." Regina approached the siblings and stroked a finger over the pink cheek as Neal yawned, then noticed Emma looking at her quizzically. "What?"

"Regardless of fertility?"

Regina nodded. "Apparently. True love can work both as a contraceptive to ensure babies are only able to be born from it who are completely and utterly wanted. Likewise, well generally the usual act takes place so it's not always known, but occasionally pregnancy can occur in people thought to be infertile, or who are physically unable to copulate, and sometimes it is said that what I guess you would call an immaculate conception can occur with just the true love of two people who had yet to consummate their bond."

The snort Emma let out startled her brother and his blue eyes popped open again, and he let out a little pre-cry whimper. "I'm sorry, Squirt. I didn't mean to scare you. Aunty Regina said the word copulate and then told me that the legend of the Virgin Mary was nothing super spesh and it's totes possible to get knocked up without ever even doing the nasty."

"Emma!" Regina exclaimed in a hushed tone. Neal whimpered again and Emma jiggled him a little and continued swaying. "Shhh little man, shhh shhhh. Don't cry again."

"Want me to take him?" Regina offered, and stepped closer to the pair. 

The blonde leaned forward and felt Regina's arms underneath her own, supporting the bundle's weight. Another pudgy hand reached up and grabbed a fistful of deep brown hair, and he fell silent apart from his snuffly little breaths.

"Don't move," Emma whispered, her face only inches from Regina's ear. She freed one arm and tried to pry her brother's hand off her own hair to no avail, as every time she attempted to free herself he'd start to cry again. 

Regina then tried to extricate herself, "He probably should stay with you anyway, he may have only settled because he can feel your true love. It could be why he wouldn't settle for Belle or Ruby."

They tried again to separate from him but it quickly became evident that further efforts would only further wake and upset the baby, so Emma stepped in again and placed her free hand on the small of Regina's back. "Fine, kid. Have it your way, greedy. You get both of us."

The watched with matching smiles as he took longer and longer to open his eyes after each blink, and they danced to Norah Jones' soothing voice, the almost-asleep baby tucked safely between them, calm for the first time that afternoon.

 _What am I to you_  
_Tell me darling true_  
_To me you are the sea_  
_Vast as you can be_  
_And deep the shade of blue_

 _When you're feeling low_  
_To whom else do you go_  
_See, I cry if you hurt_  
_I'd give you my last shirt_  
_Because I love you so_

 _Now if my sky should fall_  
_Would you even call_  
_Opened up my heart_  
_I never want to part_  
_I'm giving you the ball_

From a gentle hum, Regina closed her eyes sang along with the next verse.

 _When I look in your eyes_  
_I can feel the butterflies_  
_I will love you when you're blue_  
_Tell me darlin' true_  
_What am I to you_

She stopped when she realised Emma had stopped dancing and was watching her, and she felt her cheeks warm and heart race, but the openness on Emma's face was just as raw and cautious and hopeful as her own. Her eyes were drawn to pale pink lips as her tongue flicked out to wet them, and she instinctively licked her own.

Already a little light-headed, her shallow inhale did little to feed more oxygen to her brain, but she wasn't sure she wanted it to. She leaned forward, not actively doing anything, other than offering an almost imperceptible invitation.

Blonde hair fell forward in the space between them as Emma tipped her head forward, her forehead just touching Regina's for a long moment, then moving to the side. Regina lifted her chin just enough for their lips to brush together, and then pressed a little more firmly.

 _When I look in your eyes_  
_I can feel the butterflies_  
_Could you find a love in me_  
_Would you carve me in a tree_  
_Don't fill my heart with lies_

 _I will you love when you're blue_  
_Tell me darlin' true_  
_What am I to you_

Their lips parted, though their faces remained impossibly close, shared breath and fluttering butterfly kisses on cheeks. Time slowed, and the world shrunk to just the room they were in, just their embrace, just that moment.

Then the doorbell rang. With Neal's final surrender to the sandman, his relaxed fingers were easily untangled from Emma's hair and she left him in Regina's arms to go and answer the door. Her parents stood on the other side, dressed up and looking worried.

"Emma, I sent Belle a text from the movie theatre to see how he was doing and she told me she brought him here because he wouldn't settle." She stuck her head in and listened, and realised that the house was quiet except for low music. Emma gestured for them to come in.

"You guys didn't have to come around, he's fine. We just managed to get him to sleep."

Regina emerged from the study, cradling Neal, and smiled as Mary-Margaret approached and gazed down at her son. "It was Emma who settled him the most, I think he could sense her true love. He's used to feeling it with you two idiots all the time."

Mary-Margaret's hand rose to cover her mouth and her eyes filled with water. She sniffed and tried to hold back, and Emma winced as she approached the huddled woman and her mother caught her arm in a vice-like grip. 

"It was a team effort," Emma said, and smiled warmly when deep brown eyes met her own.

David placed a hand on a shoulder each of his wife and daughter and Regina rolled her eyes. "Ugh, not you too, Charming." Emma looked up and noticed her father blinking back tears as well. "Go, go. Enjoy your night off, now you've seen for yourself that your son is just fine."

She watched as Regina nuzzled the top of the baby's head and murmured to him. "Silly sappy parents, aren't they, little one? Lets go back in by the fire where it's warm." 

Emma smiled at her overly emotional parents. "He's fine, like she said, go enjoy your evening. You may have missed the end of your movie but I'm sure you still have dinner reservations you can make it to."

There was an 'oof' noise as her father tugged her into a tight group hug, then they were out the door, his fingers laced through his wife's, and they paused at the gate to kiss. Emma rolled her eyes with a smile and closed the door.

...

**Swan & Mills Residence - Saturday, 10:10pm**

Regina stood in her doorway rubbing hand cream into her hands, and she waited for the blonde to exit the bathroom. When she did, she noticed the older woman and paused to throw her clothes on her bed before cinching the belt of her robe a little tighter and continuing down the hallway past their son's room.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," Regina replied. They stood awkwardly for a few moments, Regina still rubbing her hands together even though she no longer needed to. "So, are we going to talk about earlier?"

Emma stiffened, and shifted her weight onto her other leg. She rubbed a hand against the damp hair at the nape of her neck, underneath where it was tied up and had been mostly protected from the shower by the shower cap, except for where it had ridden up slightly. "Umm, talk?"

"Yes, talk."

The air felt a little thin and Emma breathed a little deeper to compensate. "And say what?"

Regina closed her eyes and breathed out through her nose. "Discuss, I suppose, whether that was a one-off, heat of the moment thing, or... whether we want that to happen again."

"Oh," Emma shifted again, and swallowed thickly. "Well, um. It was a moment, I guess," she watched as Regina's jaw clenched and as disappointment seeped into her eyes, "but, um.." she took another breath, then another, then spoke again much more quietly, "a moment I would like to happen again."

Regina's chest rose in relief, and her forehead relaxed. "I would like that too," she whispered.

With a small smile, Emma stepped forward and leaned in. "Good," she whispered.

The shorter woman's hand rose and stroked Emma's cheek, and guided her into another chaste kiss. "Yes," she murmured, "good." She smiled into another kiss before Emma stepped away.

"Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma."

...

**_SEVEN WEEKS LATER_ **

**Swan & Mills Residence - Wednesday, 11:35am**

Mary-Margaret knocked on the door again, and listened closely for any movement inside the house, to no avail. She stepped back onto the step and looked across at the Bug and Mercedes parked in the driveway, and peered through the glass into the empty living room. She slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialled Emma.

Upstairs, for the third time, the sound of vibration against the floor was accompanied by a guitar riff and Danzig singing _"Mother! Can you keep them in the dark for life, can you hide them from the waiting world, oh mother!"_

Regina thumped her hand down on the mattress and growled in frustration. "I'll kill her. I. WILL. KILL. HER."

The sheet lifted off her and Emma crawled up the bed and wiped the corners of her mouth. "I'm sorry. That was feeling like it was going to be amazing."

"It was. It was fucking amazing and it was about to be fucking mind blowing and then your fucking mother ruined it. She ruins everything!" 

Emma kissed the sweat-slicked chest beneath her. "Would it make you feel better if--"

Her head jerked up at the sound of the front door opening, and she scrambled off the bed and tugged on her jeans. They had told Henry about their relationship weeks ago, but he had agreed to allow them time to figure things out without any Charming intervention. Walking in on his parents was still something no child should have to see, Emma knew that for a fact. 

It wasn't Henry's voice that called out to them however, it was her mother's, and in an instant Regina had magicked herself fully dressed. Emma almost tackled her as she reached for the door, and somehow managed to magic herself into a bra and tanktop. "All jokes aside, please don't kill her."

She kissed the scowling brunette and slipped out of the door, and trotted down the stairs. 

"Oh, Emma! There you are!" She took in her daughter's dishevelled appearance and red, sweaty skin. "Are you sick?" She met the blonde on the stairs and Emma tried to shrug away from the and reaching for her forehead. "Do you have the flu that has been going around?"

"No, Mom," Emma said, hoping the term would give her a little more sway with the woman, "I'm fine."

Mary-Margaret resisted Emma's attempt at guiding her back down the stairs. "No, sweetheart, you don't look fine at all. I think you have a fever!"

A door closed at the top of the hallway and Mary-Margaret's eyes widened as Regina, as elegantly dressed and perfectly coiffed as ever, strutted down the staircase towards them with all the smugness of the cat who got the cream.

She looked back at Emma who was avoiding eye contact with both of them, and at her bare feet and unbuckled belt. She noticed some of the redness on Emma's neck wasn't flushing of her skin, although she did have a full blush going on, but smudges of lipstick. "Oh!" She cried out uncontrollably. 

She clutched at the bannister with one hand and clamped the other over her mouth, and watched as Regina stood a little too close to her daughter with a hand placed on her lower back. 

"You..." She stammered, "you two... oh!" 

"Is something wrong, Snow?" Regina purred.

The short-haired woman gulped in air, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly, and then it happened. She lunged forward and threw her arms around them. "You finally figured it out!" She sobbed.

Regina and Emma stood still, taken aback completely by the reaction.

"Umm, Snow?" Emma said, and gently pushed her mother away. Mary-Margaret wiped her cheeks, tight and rosy as she grinned at the pair. 

"Oh!" She finally realised. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was at the school to talk to the principal and Henry mentioned he'd left his lunch behind today. I thought I'd call by and pick it up for him."

Regina stared at Snow and huffed. She stomped down the stairs and strode across the foyer to the kitchen, and picked up the Thor lunchbox from the counter. She shoved it into Snow's waiting hands, then marched without a word out the front door, slamming it behind her.

"Yikes." Mary-Margaret murmured. 

Emma sighed. "She'll get over it."

A long, loud blast of a car horn resonated through the house. "Oh!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed again. "I'm parked behind her." Emma chuckled as her mother dashed out of the house to rescue her truck before it turned into a fireball on wheels.

**Author's Note:**

> Heh, this is the actual headcanon I replied to her with, and she was like "DO IT" -- I think I fulfilled every point...
> 
> Marian is Robin Hood. Marian picks a random Merry Man to pretend to be RH until he's inevitibly killed, then she replaces him. R's "RH" was just a thief in a bar who ended up a merry man & stole an heirloom of Snow/David's that they would've given 2 Emma hence pixie dust leading to him. When M's first "RH" had to go on a mission, tat "RH" was appointed as figurehead, but when M the real RH was taken by the queen & killed, tat-RH decided to continue, but they turned 2 a band of regular thieves, no longer giving to the poor. Just stole from the rich, hung out in the woods, drinking. Tat-RH likes Roland coz he's a pussy-magnet like a cute puppy. M's back but didn't reveal her true identity of course, but she'll ditch tat-RH, tis why she didn't fight 4 him. R will respect the integrity of her thieving & respect her intelligence, they'll become bffs. Heirloom will be spotted at Golds by the Charmings, Belle will confirm tat-RH sold it, realise the pixie dust is still all over it & take it to Blue to find out why. She'll call Tink in who will admit what she did, they'll all be confused but Tink will realise & then they'll all swear to not tell them, to let it happen organically, but Tink WILL tell R that the dust was wrong. Now Snow always gets teary around R but she learned her lesson last time & will keep this secret. Shes tormented for another full season watching 2 adorable idiots be in love with each other without even knowing it. Charming lets Hook kiss him knowing E will see & she dumps him, Hook leaves. Op.mong. leads them to spending more time together, E moves into the spare room, they're a couple before even they know it. But Henry knows. Somewhere along the way, they figure it out.. & when R finally thinks she'll get revenge on S by telling her she's banging her daughter, S bursts out with "oh thank god finally" & R is super pissed off with the opposite response she'd wanted. FINI (sic)


End file.
